Between San Francisco and Anaheim, I would rather stay in Anaheim. San Francisco is expensive and is not kid-friendly. On the other hand, Anaheim has a diverse population, is great for raising kids, and has great food.
San Francisco has thousands of job opportunities for you. It has varying transportation options. It also has nice weather.
But what keeps me from wanting to move to San Francisco is the cost of living there.
San Francisco can be the most expensive city ever.
It is also not as kid-friendly. Plus, homelessness is something else.
Anaheim, on the other hand, is also expensive. But the city is not as expensive as San Francisco.
Besides, Disneyland is in Anaheim.
Why would you be somewhere else?
List of Contents
What are the pros and cons of Anaheim vs. San Francisco?
San Francisco has different transportation options. It is a diverse city with lots of job opportunities for its residents. On the other hand, Anaheim has a diverse population. The food here is delicious. And the weather is just as lovely.
San Francisco is a popular destination. But living here is different from just visiting.
Housing costs are sky high, and all other items on your budget list are expensive. The cost of living will take out a lot from your budget. You have to have a lot to think about when you live here.
Anaheim is also expensive, but it is not as expensive as San Francisco.
Plus, it has delicious food and a population that is as diverse.
Anaheim Living
First off, the food in Anaheim is delicious. Living in Anaheim is an advantage with rising costs in neighboring cities.
Pros
Anaheim is everything you have ever wanted.
Read on and find out.
- Diversity
- Delicious
- The Weather
Another advantage of living in Anaheim is its diverse population.
You can easily find different nationalities in the city. And a diverse community has a lot of advantages.
For instance, it would be easy for you to feel at home as a new community member. It is because, upon arrival, you can easily find people of the same nationalities.
Having a diverse population also means you have different types of food around.
It is easy to find Chinese, Persian, Italian, and Mexican food here. And what is remarkable is that all of these taste authentic.
Cultural festivals and celebrations are also common in a diverse community. When you are in Anaheim, expect to find celebrations all year round.
Finally, a diverse population is always tolerant of differences.
And this is important.
Because Anaheim has a diverse population, the influences go beyond festivals and celebrations.
Such influences also reflect the food you can find in the city.
Aside from authentic food, there is also the emerging fusion of different flavors.
One such example is the ramen burger.
Ramen is a popular Asian dish.
A burger, on the other hand, has Western origins. And a ramen burger is a fusion of both cultures.
Aside from this, there are many more than you can find in Anaheim.
Anaheim will never run out of these food options from Chinese takeouts, Persian joints, and Mexican restaurants.
Anaheim is in California.
It is a given that you will see a lot of sunshine all year round.
The summers here are warm and beautiful. It is always tempting to explore and engage in outdoor activities with your family during summer.
Aside from that, you can quickly drive to any nearby beach. These beaches are about an hour away from the city.
Summers aside, winters in Anaheim are mild.
There will be regular rainfall, but there is never snow.
If you do not like the cold, Anaheim is your perfect bet.
Cons
Here, we discuss a few things that should concern you.
- Nightlife. Or the Lack of It
- The Cost of Living
If you think Anaheim has bustling nightlife in California, think again.
Anaheim has a dull nightlife.
Sure, there will be a few joints here where you can grab a beer with friends. But you have limited options.
If you love clubs, bars, and all the strobing lights, you will mostly not find them here.
You can drive to LA for that. But here in Anaheim, you have minimal chances of getting that groove going.
As you already know by now, the cost of living in Anaheim is high. And so, when you have plans of moving here, you have to have a job that pays well.
The cost of properties and rent is also increasing.
And the trend, as we can see, continues.
In the coming years, we will see prices soar and be more expensive than it already is.
San Francisco Living
Sunny San Francisco has excellent weather, a set of progressive values, and several transportation options.
Pros
Living in San Francisco, you will surely enjoy the following.
- Progressive Values
- Transportation Options
- The San Francisco Weather
Just like Anaheim, San Francisco has a diverse population.
Not only that, but the city is more ethnically diverse than any other major city in California.
Chinatown in SF is the oldest in North America. There is a Hispanic community in the Mission District. There are also Chinese Americans.
The city adopts a forward-thinking mindset. You will feel right at home if you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
Castro, for example, is one of the most popular gay neighborhoods on earth.
San Francisco is also the birthplace of hippie culture.
And up until this very day, the city holds many progressive values, both in its culture and its governance.
When in San Francisco, it is always easier to find modes of transportation that can take you from Point A to Point B.
You can have options like Muni and BART. There are also vintage streetcars and cable cars.
You will never run out of transportation options when you are in the city.
If streetcars, cable cars, and BART are not your cups of tea, you can go for Uber or a cab. Or you can even bike your way somewhere.
And if without a bike of your own, you can rent one.
San Francisco has a climate different from any other major city in the country.
First of all, it gets chilly even during summer.
Aside from wide-ranging temperatures, there are also microclimates. The weather here can also be unpredictable. But overall, the weather in San Francisco is mild.
There is, of course, no snow.
There are also no hot, blazing days.
Cons
How about the things that should concern you in San Francisco?
Here are a few of them.
- Homelessness
- Cost of Living
- Not Kid-friendly
The homeless problem in San Francisco is more visible compared to other cities.
The Tenderloin is a neighborhood in San Francisco beside a wealthy commercial center.
It is common to see the homeless out and about among high-rise buildings and fancy apartments.
Going around the city, you could also see homeless encampments on the sidewalks.
The cost of living in SF is one of the most expensive.
If you are in town, the commodities that would take up most of your budget are housing and rental costs.
Food and groceries are also more expensive here compared to other major cities.
We will discuss more on the costs later.
But overall, living in San Francisco would be costly unless you have a high-paying job that can take the brunt of the costs.
The tech boom attracted several young adults to move to San Francisco. Most of them came to the city to raise their families.
However, because of the cost of living, most young adults prefer to delay having children.
The city has insane housing costs. Also, the public school system in San Francisco is unreliable.
It is not unusual for you to see more pet grooming shops in San Francisco than schools.
San Francisco or Anaheim – Which is cheaper?
Overall, the cost of living in San Francisco is 169.3% higher than the national average. Anaheim is 52.2% more expensive than the national average. Comparing the two cities, San Francisco is more costly than Anaheim.
| Living Expenses | Anaheim | San Francisco |
| Housing | 257.1 | 596.2 |
| Food & Groceries | 102.5 | 116.6 |
| Health | 95.9 | 100.3 |
| Utilities | 97.4 | 97.5 |
| Transportation | 118 | 158.2 |
Data is based on 100 = US National Average
>100 means more than the national average
<100 means cheaper than the national average
Housing/Rent
As you already know, California costs are usually higher than the national average.
And this is a fact for both cities.
Housing and rental costs take up most of the budget.
If you compare the costs with the national average, you will find that Anaheim is 157.1% more expensive. However, you should note that San Francisco’s housing costs are insane. It is 496.2% more expensive than the national average.
Considering this cost, you could easily see that moving to Anaheim is advantageous. Housing costs are cheaper.
Utility Costs
The cost of utilities is also cheaper in Anaheim.
Compared to the national average, utility costs in Anaheim are about 2.6% cheaper. Now, the price of utilities in San Francisco is also more affordable than the national average. It sits at 2.5% below the national average.
These numbers show that moving to Anaheim is more affordable by 0.1%.
Utilities refer to your electricity consumption, heating, garbage disposal, and internet.
Food and Groceries
Food and groceries are more affordable in Anaheim.
And the difference is vast.
Both cities are more expensive than the national average. Anaheim is 2.5%, while San Francisco is 16.6% more expensive than the national average.
Such a difference can equate to many savings if you choose Anaheim. This number can mean a lot, especially if you are moving with your family.
Transportation Costs
Transportation costs are more expensive in San Francisco.
San Francisco is 58.2% more expensive than the national average, while Anaheim is only at 18%.
The difference, again, is something you should consider. And that should make a big difference in your budget, especially if you drive to work.
San Francisco may have a lot of transportation options. But the cost of transport here is more expensive compared to Anaheim.
Healthcare
In this part of your budget, Anaheim is still cheaper.
It is cheaper than the national average by 4.1%.
On the other hand, San Francisco is more expensive than the national average by 0.3%.
Such numbers show that moving to Anaheim is an advantage in healthcare costs.
Is San Francisco bigger than Anaheim?
San Francisco is smaller than Anaheim in terms of land area. It has a land area of 46.87 square miles, while Anaheim has a land area of 57.51 square miles.
It is hard to imagine that even smaller land area; San Francisco has about 3.3 million people inhabiting it.
Comparing it to Anaheim, the latter has a smaller population of 349,000.
And because of its size and population, San Francisco is also denser in population than Anaheim. It has a population density of 6,266 people per square mile.
Anaheim has a population density of 3,832 people per square mile.
Is San Francisco safer than Anaheim?
San Francisco has more crimes compared to Anaheim. The crime index in Anaheim sits at 53.24%, while in San Francisco, it is at 59.47%
The crime index shows the overall picture of a city or a place regarding crimes.
A quick look at both numbers can easily make you say that Anaheim has fewer crimes than San Francisco.
It should be evident because San Francisco is more populated than Anaheim.
I should emphasize, however, that certain crimes are more likely in San Francisco than in Anaheim.
For example, the worries about receiving insults are 64.11% in San Francisco. This number is higher compared to Anaheim’s 41.18%.
On the other hand, probabilities of bribery and corruption are higher in Anaheim at 61.11%. In San Francisco, it is only 45.46%.
Overall, Anaheim is safer than San Francisco.
Is Anaheim better than San Francisco?
In many ways, Anaheim is better than San Francisco. The major contributing factor here is its housing costs. The housing costs could also be why there are more homeless in San Francisco than anywhere else.
It is easy to choose between Anaheim and San Francisco.
All you have to do is to look at the housing costs in San Francisco. It is a major turnoff.
Imagine getting a stable job. It may pay you well, but a massive chunk of your salary goes to your housing costs. It is more than 400% higher than the national average. And this number speaks loads about how the cost of living is in San Francisco.
Aside from the costs, there are more crimes in San Francisco compared to Anaheim.
The city is also more crowded.
And these are the reasons why I would choose Anaheim over San Francisco any day.
How about you?
Would you live in San Francisco or Anaheim?
Please let me know.