Comparing Cities - San Diego vs. Austin vs. Nashville

My company is offering me the choice to live/move to any of these cities.

Grew up in Alabama. Georgia about a decade.

Currently in San Diego - been here two years. . Love it here. A big goal of my Tundra build is to explore the southwest. So much to see here - from Baja up to Yosemite and everything in between. I’m vegetarian and the food options here are amazing. I also do a lot of yoga, and this is the yoga capitol of the US for sure. But GD the cost of living?!? It’s insane. I make six figures. But I don’t anticipate ever being able to own the sort of home I want. Everyone tells me to just buy a condo and ride it out as values increase and one day I’ll be able to afford a home. Ugh. But then I have to live in a condo! Right now I’m renting a space in a single family home.

Austin - I was excited because everyone seems to love it. Did a quick visit and wasn’t super impressed. I was really disappointed with the amount of outdoors adventure stuff to do in Texas. Seems like it’s because all of Texas is privately owned - it’s the state with the least public land in the entire US! Cost of living is decent. Weather is tough. Great town for beer, bbq, and music though. But I don’t really drink or eat meat… love the music scene though. My gut is that this isn’t the place for me.

Nashville - smallest city of the three. And back near my home region. Same selling points as Austin, but substitute beer with bourbon. I’m really attracted to this option because the low cost of living and the desirable climate. I love the water, mountains, and trees. Long term I want to have some land for a food forest. Nashville is a place I could do that for sure. Plus with the Smokies and everything else in Appalachia country, there would be no shortage of roads for me to play with the Tundra on!

Assuming all career and personal aspects are equal…. It’s a hard call! Based on the city life, it’s San Diego hands down. Based on my long term goals, Nashville seems like the better option. If I did what’s best for my company, I’d go to Austin.

don’t worry - I’m not basing my entire life decision on my truck or the opinions of people I talk to about my truck!! But I would definitely appreciate to hear some candid thoughts on living in any of these places.

 

Just reading what you wrote, I’d say you made the case for Nashville. I’m in San Diego county and, if you’ve lived here 2 years, I don’t have to tell you how the culture change hits most southerners. Being a vegetarian and into Yoga, this is definitely where you’ll find the biggest number of people who share your interests. And it’s true, the inflated housing will eventually reset and you’ll be able to get a place here. If you’re willing to live out in Descanso, Pine Valley, or Campo, or Ramona, you can get a free-standing home to start out. But your money will always go farther in Kentucky. Maybe stay in SD for now… be prepared to commute from the outer edge of the county so you can buy a property (when the market resets), then figure an opportunity will come to move again a few years from now, at which time you’ll have explored what you want to see around here, and built some equity— and at that point, you can move your nest egg to KY.

What I read loud and clear is that Austin isn’t your best choice.

 

There are plenty of places about an hour outside of Nashville that give you the scenery and space you’re looking for.

If you don’t need to live in the middle of Nashville to be the center of attention

My sister lives 1:15 out from Nashville and can’t get cell service she loves it

 

Seems like Nashville might be a winner

 

I have lived in San Diego for about 30 years now, you're right cost of living is a bit ridiculous. Depending on your income you might want to check out Bayho/ West Clairemont.(92117) The prices "decent" and you are close to everything and most of the houses have big yards.

 

If I were in your situation I’d head to Nashville. Hate to break it to you, but six figures (unless you’re mid-ish six figures or north of that) isn’t going to get you far in SD proper these days. As Sunnier said, you could move to the outskirts but you seem to like the city life and your food options might be limited. My wife and I both do OK for ourselves and, unless there’s a major correction, have pretty much all but written off living in SD for the long haul. We stay here because grandma is here and saves us 2k/month in child care. Could we afford to live here? Sure. But do we really want to pay 1.5m for a 4 bdrm stand alone home with no yard? No thanks. I’ll buy a permanent residence elsewhere and get a lake house/boat while I’m at it. I dunno, just my $.02

 

Nashville would be my pick, I'm a mountain town guy and hate cities typically but had a great time in Nashville. Outside the city is quite beautiful with nice, simple folk.

You won't live in a desirable place in Cali unless you have real good money. That, and let's say you want something like solar for your house, you'll need to wait 2 years to jump through all the BS hurdles they have in place.

 

Nashville has been right around the national average for cost of living, but homes here are selling for 100k over asking (for a 600k home). Amazon and Oracle are bringing thousands of jobs to the city over the next year or two, so it seems the housing issue is only going to get worse.

I like middle (and west) Tennessee a lot. But Nashville has changed so much over the last 10 years. It’s crowded, dirty, and has a lot more crime than it used to have. I would love to move outside of town. But rural properties are hard to come by now that so many people are moving to the area and can work from home.

 

Yeah people need to go back to the office already. The situation here in Breckenridge, CO is that tons of business can only be open 4-5 days a week due to staffing issues caused by a total lack of housing (it was bad before but now it's not even plausible for most) due to remote workers taking it all and then in turn driving up the cost. "Oh yeah I'll pay $3500/month for a 2 bedroom, no problem!"

 

I'll just opine on the offroading. You will definitely find more public land for offroading in the West. You will also find terrain better suited to the Tundra. The off-road options where I live (middle of the country) are much better suited to a smaller vehicle, like a Jeep or Tacoma. I can't get the Tundra down trails I did in the Tacoma, it's just too big.

 

Really appreciate all the insight! Seems like I am projecting a Nashville lean to all of you. I know that would make my folks back in Alabama happy!

If I had to decide right this second I'd do what you're suggesting. Stay here for now, because I like life and there's no rush to change it. And keep working on my long term plans in the meantime. My job is pretty much full time telework, but locked into a region. So I could live out in Descanso, etc. and have virtually no commuting issues other than for fun and the airport. But holy hell even those places are priced insanely right now. You seem hopeful for a market correction in the near future. I was too when I first moved out here in 2019 and damn did I make a mistake. I was looking at 20-30 year old homes in Clairmont for ~$500-550k. Thought that seemed insane at the time. Well those same houses are $700 and up now. Unreal.

This is exactly what I would be looking into. I have a cousin who's a real estate agent there. I'd probably aim to be about 1 hour southeast of the city to be closer to family and friends in AL (but not too close!).

Ugh. Yeah. That area is totally unattainable now to someone with my income. Unless I'm willing to spend $500k on a 1br/1ba condo w/ a $400/month HOA.

Don't worry you're not breaking it to me! I make right at 100 and I feel poor here. All of my friends are amazed I just found a 1 br / 1 ba for *only* $1,650. One of my best friends just told me he's paying $1950 for a studio. It's sickening honestly. The only way I can see building a life long term here is if I find a way to double my salary. It's possible I guess, but I don't know how to do it.

I hear that. If I could find a place with some hills, trees, water, and space I'd be so happy. In Nashville I could to that without even stretching my resources too much. In San Diego I'd need to probably double or triple my income.

It is sad that wherever I go it's a totally jacked up time to buy a home. I've been shocked looking at homes on zillow around Nashville. My favorite option was super remote, simple house, lots of land, about an hour outside of town, and they wanted $400k for it. Might be worth it, just not what I imagined it would cost to live an hour outside of a medium city.

I don't know how people do it - make lots of money that is. I have an engineering degree, professional license, 10+ years experience in really competitive industries, and my peers all act like I've won the lottery with my job.

 

Many, maybe most, have two incomes.

 

Enough said....but look around the Nashville area, meaning at least 20 miles away....Franklin is hoping !
No state income tax and sports teams are not too shabby if into sports !

 

It sounds like you laid out the best case for Nashville. Is it now or never? Might be better to stay put for a couple years.

 

yes anywhere but Austin please!!

This town is super over crowded and not as much fun as people want to believe

 

I have lived in CA Los Angeles TX DFW and TN Knoxville TN would be my pick and will be in the future. Currently in DFW TX

 

I live in San Antonio TX, Austin is overrated, over crowded, roads are always under construction, Texas is massive and takes half a day to get out of the state. On the plus side, there is no state income tax, vehicle registration is like $90 a year, gas is around $2.60 right now. Since you work remote, you could look into the outer areas - Kyle, Buda, lockhart, or to the NW in Burnet, marble falls.

We were in san diego for 5 weeks in 2018, when our son was born early. Ronald McDonald house put us up for almost free. There is no way we could afford to live out there. Loved the weather, sites, people.

Vacationed several times in and around Nashville area. We loved seeing mountains, the greenery, all the bourbon! We would consider moving to Tennessee/ Kentucky area if the opportunity came along. I the time it takes to drive out of Texas, you could be 3 states away and be able to see so much of the country and history that is in that area. You could drive down to the Florida gulf in 5-6 hours (took us 18 hours to get to pencecola)

 

San Diego is the nicest of the 3 for year round living - but you pay through the nose for that - both in taxes and in cost of everything.

Austin is a great city to visit to me - it’s a good compromise between the other 2 - but yea, Texas is very much a different kinda state and Austin prides itself on being the most different city in the state.

Nashville - cheapest of the 3, but not exactly cheap compared to most Southern cities non coastal cities not named Atlanta. It’s booming - but compared to the other 2 feels small townish in a way.

To me - all depends on needs/family situation. If I had kids - Nashville, if I was under 35 and single - Austin probably and if I was retiring with 5 million in the bank - San Diego.

 

I'd avoid all 3. We live in Charlotte and cost of housing is ridiculous. We just bought a place back in KY and will be moving home soon. Austin and Nashville are being flooded with Californians/New Yorkers bringing with them their high end gentrified BS. No thanks

 

Cost of housing is a very much a relative thing

A median house in San Diego is probably in the 600s - in Nashville it’s a little more than half that. Charlotte your probably looking at the 280-320 range.

To someone from San Francisco or nicer areas of Greater LA (or. Seattle for that matter) those prices and the lack of traffic are a dream - a house someone making 60k a year could afford AND not driving 1.5 hours each way to work every day….

But again trade offs - activities in Nashville and to a lesser extent Austin are more limited compared to bigger cities. Not that there’s a lack of things to do - just that they are limited compared to broader selections offered in bigger markets. Nashville is nice if you like outdoors and country music.

Again, most people’s with young kids aren’t globetrotting and vacationing every other month - so Nashvegas is a good fit - I mean it has an airport - but direct flights aren’t as common a thing as San Diego even. Seems dumb - but if you travel for work 15-30 times a year it’s a big deal.

To me KY/Wva are great to get away - but having lived in SE Ohio (damn near like living in Eastern Ky or North panhandle of Wva) - you quickly appreciate city life. You think traffic is bad in the city - try driving 45 minutes each way for a grocery run - to the single store that only has about a 1/3 of the selection at double the price. Crime is a relative thing too - relatively few shootings for example - but meth/break ins are probably as common out there and on a per capita basis much higher.

 

Re reading OP post - yea, ask most males from most Southern (or WVa or Ky small towns) for for suggestions on vegan restaurants or Yoga studios and watch the expression on their faces - usually between confusion and raised suspicions.

Again - not that everyone down here is a stereotype. There are plenty of transplants and people of similar interest - it’s just your going to be a minority vs majority like you would be in San Diego, San Francisco or Seattle/Portland.

I’m still adjusting to NC life and that’s coming from the backwards as country of Ohio. It’s just different amongst the lifers down here - at times it feels like 1960 (and not in that good ole days of Mayberry way if you know what I mean). But there are positives too - traffic is non existent (compared to big cities) - your neighbors will actually speak to you and trucks out number low end lux rides easily.

 

Housing in Charlotte is not in the 280k-320k range, not even close, unless you want to live outside 485 with 1hr+ commute in a treeless new build community in a house with builder grade materials. We are not moving to the middle of nowhere KY, in fact moving to NKY right in the city (across from Cinci), except getting 2x the house in a much better area at a much lower price.

 

I’m not far from there (Brookville Indiana), commute to Cincinnati for work. I’m originally from Manchester, England. I used to have a 5 mile commute to work that took 30 minutes but now 45 miles that takes 50 minutes. I really don’t mind it...totally worth the drive to live out in the country for me and I’ve been used to city living all my life and I’d never go back.

It’s all down to the person and circumstances I guess. Not many yoga or vegan joints around where I’m at so this sort of place wouldn’t suit the OP. I also have 2 kids so our choices are based around them, like having a decent amount of land for them to play on etc.

But if it’s based on cost of living this area is great, just bought 7.5 acres for 37500.

 

Yea, vegan diet and yoga are not my thing, but to each their own. I am originally from Louisville KY - it is party cost of living thing and to be near family as we start to have a family of our own.

 

Don’t come to texas.

 

Two more cents from the local guy. Nashville is turning into a mini LA. It’s getting harder to fit into this town with a family unless you live outside Davidson county. The whole town is full of the “Nashville stare.” This originated in the music industry (honestly, it probably originated in LA). It’s when whoever you’re talking to is constantly looking over your shoulder to see if there is anyone else in the room more important than you they want to go meet. It’s hilarious and sad at the same time. And the traffic SUCKS for a small city with far less population density than typical big cities. Look up a map of Nashville. The whole city is a bottleneck for the three interstates that form a pretzel around the metro area. If you commute in and out of downtown, bless you. Lots and lots and lots of nonlocal traffic.

On a positive note, there is a lot more to do here than outdoors and country music. We have pro football, hockey, soccer, and AAA baseball. The Frist is a legit museum with a steady schedule of great exhibits. If you’re a music fan in general (not just country music), every major tour comes through. We get Monster Jam 2x a year, too, haha. My kids love that. And the food here has rapidly increased to true foodie snobbery levels. Local breweries like Bearded Iris are making incredible beers. Arrington Vineyards is really great. And yes there are a ton of hiking trails, waterfalls, and backcountry camping in the area.

It really is a cool town. It’s just being overrun on two connected fronts: the country music tourism industry, and young wealthy childless people living for the weekend nightlife.