Curious what people think. My family moved here when I was a kid. Median household income is $43,854, which feels on the lower side for the area. Poverty rate is 21.6%, which is higher than I expected. Honestly, I think it's a great place if you know where to look. The school system varies a lot by neighborhood. What would you do? It's not perfect, but the community is solid. Cost of living is definitely rising, but still manageable.
13 upvotes
2 Replies
emilia_life
OK so I've been meaning to write this for a while. I moved here 6 years ago from Raleigh and here's my honest breakdown:
Housing: If you look outside the main areas you can find deals. We're paying /mo for a 1-bed in Sunset. It's challenging for what you get.
Jobs: The market is competitive right now, especially in tech. If you're in engineering you might struggle.
People: Generally average. It took about 10 months to build a solid friend group.
Food: solid. Tons of options if you like craft beer.
Would recommend to anyone considering it..
40 upvotes
Landon Martin
Real talk - this place is not for everyone, and I think that's OK.
If you value traffic, you'll love it. The walkability is genuinely decent and I've found it's improved dramatically in recent years. My neighborhood (Sunset) is stable and I feel safe walking around at night.
But if you're coming from Baltimore, be prepared for the culture shock. pet-friendliness is completely different here. And Summers can be brutally hot.
My advice would be to visit for at least a week before committing. Rent first, don't buy. And explore multiple neighborhoods - they're all different.
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