Considering living in San Diego eventually.. feedback appreciated (Sacramento, Oceanside: rent, condos)

[ecsdude]

I currently live in Sacramento and it's been a dream of mine to eventually move to San Diego and live by or close to the beach or by the ocean.


As a way of realizing that dream, I recently accepted a tech related state job in Sacramento with an eye towards possibly applying for another state job in San Diego one day, since one of the big questions I had to answer was what kind of job I would be able to get in San Diego. I know there are some tech companies in San Diego but I have heard it could be competitive for the relatively fewer openings there, plus it seems not so stable. A state job seems to address that concern for me and make such a move (plan is to live through retirement there as well) possible, and I think I may be positioned well to take that route.


But I have the following questions and feedback from those familiar with the area (and hopefully also the state job situation there) would be appreciated:


1. How is the state job situation in San Diego compared to Sacramento?


2. It seems that housing in the areas I would be looking at could be considerably more expensive than something comparable in Sacramento. If I want to live somewhere secure, convenient to shopping (short drives to get to pretty much everything you'd want), not traffic congested, clean, and close to or by the beach/ocean, that's also low maintenance (most likely can't afford a house in such an area, and probably want to avoid the upkeep of one, so leaning towards townhomes or condos), where would I want to look and how much would a nice place cost (maybe 2-3 bedrooms, 2 ba with a garage)? I'm not really familiar with the area, but I've been Downtown and it looked beautiful and clean. I've also been to La Jolla, which is nice, but probably too expensive to be realistically attainable.


3. Another place I've been to (briefly) is Carlsbad and it seemed like a nice, relaxing, fairly peaceful area. How does that compare to San Diego? Are there state jobs there too? Also, I've never been to Santa Barbara but hear it's nice as well, so I have similar questions about that possibility.


4. Aside from LA traffic congestion, which I want to avoid, two other concerns I have are smog/air quality and potential for earthquakes when compared to Sacramento. Is air quality year round better
than in LA? Would it be comparable to Sacramento or Bay Area air quality? How much greater risk is there of an earthquake in San Diego than in Sacramento?


As mentioned at the start, this is a dream of mine ever since visiting San Diego like 5 years ago or so. It just seemed like paradise (nice weather, beautiful scenery, clean and fairly calm Downtown, and didn't really see any homeless), but I wonder how accurate a representation that visit actually was. Could someone who's lived there a while share the pros and cons?

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by ecsdude

2. It seems that housing in the areas I would be looking at could be considerably more expensive than something comparable in Sacramento. If I want to live somewhere secure, convenient to shopping (short drives to get to pretty much everything you'd want), not traffic congested, clean, and close to or by the beach/ocean, that's also low maintenance (most likely can't afford a house in such an area, and probably want to avoid the upkeep of one, so leaning towards townhomes or condos), where would I want to look and how much would a nice place cost (maybe 2-3 bedrooms, 2 ba with a garage)? I'm not really familiar with the area, but I've been Downtown and it looked beautiful and clean. I've also been to La Jolla, which is nice, but probably too expensive to be realistically attainable.

Unless you make a LOT of money the requirements above will be very hard. The closer to the ocean the more traffic and it is and. the cost goes way up. Everyone wants the above but it isn't realistic since the 70's.

[oddstray]

I lived in Sacramento for 5 years, way back in the early 1980's.

1. I don't know how many, if any, state jobs are in San Diego. I'd guess far fewer than Sacramento since it's the state capitol.

2. Yes, housing is very expensive in San Diego. It'll no doubt be more than Sacramento for comparable space.

3. If there are any state jobs in San Diego, I'd guess they're more likely to be downtown. But there's now a commuter train that runs between Oceanside and downtown, so Carlsbad is still a possibility. Santa Barbara is up in Ventura (I think) county, so you can probably get better information from that forum.

4. San Diego and Sacramento are quite comparable with respect to earthquake risk. Both are near but not on major faults (except San Diego does have the Rose Canyon fault running right through it so we're not completely out of danger). So we feel earthquakes from faults farther east and north of San Diego.

It was unusual that you didn't see any homeless during your visit. San Diego has a huge homeless population, and they're visible all over the county, especially in the East Village since that's where homeless services are located. Weather here is less extreme than Sacramento's weather, but winter is chilly and May/June are typically quite gloomy. It's not year-round sunshine, as the postcards would suggest.

[RosieSD]

There aren't many state jobs here, but there are Federal jobs in tech, mainly at the Navy research lab facilities and near selected military bases here. So, you might check the Federal Government's hiring site at https://www.usajobs.gov/ to see if your experience might be a match for Federal jobs.

The average rent in San Diego County just hit $1500 a month, according to new data out this morning. Most of us who live here find that we have to make compromises of one sort or another when it comes to housing, such as pay more to live closer to the coast or work, or pay less to get a bigger place with a longer commute. That's just the way it is. If you want to move here badly enough, you'll figure out your own compromises.

I wouldn't get too attached to any part of the county (like Carlsbad) until you land a job here. Then you can figure out where to live based on commuting distance and your salary.

Our air quality , for the most part, is probably better than the Sacramento area, although certain sections of the county can have issues at times. Look for the recent thread titled Alpine, CA. On page 2 of that discussion, I've posted a few links to resources that you can use to get a sense of air quality throughout the county.

[ecsdude]

I was only there for a brief period (less than a day) and didn't veer too far from the major Hotels Downtown, so it's quite possible I missed all of the homeless because of that. Similarly, I spent only a short amount of time in Carlsbad and La Jolla/UCSD. Seemed pretty nice based on what limited amount I saw.


I'm going to see if I can spend a bit more time there to get a more accurate representation of those places. Maybe I'll have a few days free to drive down there this summer or fall.

[NorthCountySDGal]

San Diego County is a large area and the traffic is pretty terrible so a lot of where you live will be determined by where you work. I would definitely try to visit and get to know the area better. Prices will vary a lot depending on where you live as well so it's very hard to give you an idea of what a condo or townhome would cost. I am not very familiar with Sacramento area so can't really comment on comparisons. I have lived in LA and I'm familiar with Santa Barbara. SD air quality is better than LA's for sure. Santa Barbara is a beautiful place but even more expensive than San Diego. By a lot. They also have a large homeless population in both places but you will find that at virtually any of the beach communities in California. This is largely a product of the weather. One thing San Diego has in spades over LA is outdoor activities. There is a surprisingly large amount of open space in San Diego. Lots of canyons and trails, mountains, desert, you name it. It has a varied outdoor environment that helps provide for an active outdoor lifestyle. I love the beach, and that was our main draw to the area, but there's so much more here than just the beach. Good luck to you in your search!