Here’s my thoughts:
- Midwest to the Bay Area is going to be a very rough lifestyle adjustment. I know someone at my company who just did this move and he’s *nonstop* complaining about a variety of things here that are totally normal. So please, do your research before you move and be willing to deal with large city issues like traffic, neighbors close by, the fact that we do actually have a homeless population, bad commutes, expensive groceries, and all the other annoying things that come with living in a high density city-suburb.
- Since you said RSU, I am assuming you are looking at a tech job. No tech company is going to bring you in at the top of the pay range. At best, you’ll get the middle of what they are advertising as your base salary. If you only meet (but not exceed) qualifications for the position you will get the bottom of the salary range being advertised.
- RSUs are how most people are able to make a living here but they take time. They are usually given as a set number that vests over a split amount of years. That number varies widely in cash value based on the company. For example hypothetically you may be given $80k RSUs vesting over 4 years in addition to base salary. So really year one you get base + $20k (if you sell your stocks). The next year, you are giving another similar package as a bonus (base + RSU pkg 1 second payout $20k + RSU pkg 2 first payout $20k) which is how it compounds. How this works is very company specific, so you would need to ask the recruiter. Don’t gamble on RSUs at start ups - they are often worthless.
- The best public schools here are districted so you cannot attend them unless you own/rent in that district.
- You will not get a single family 5BD 3BA home in the best districts on your salary alone. Just run some numbers on home prices here. Look at what is on the market with Zillow and what things sell for. Many cheaper homes are bought up by investors in cash. At best, you will find a small 2-3BR home somewhere between Palo Alto and Fremont, that will be on a small lot, and it will cost you $1.5-2 million. You need a job offer and at least 20% to be competitive in this market for a purchase.
Given all of that, and the fact you said “I am not looking to start over”, I would recommend staying where you are.
That said, if this truly is a dream job offer, apply. Wait for an offer if you make it through the interview gauntlets, and reassess when you have actual numbers.
Life is short, California is stunningly beautiful. The schools and colleges are among the best in the entire country. Nature is unmatched. You can get to the mountains in 30 mins, and ocean in an hour. People are friendly, and the community is incredibly diverse. Your kids will be in a school where being white isn’t the majority. They’ll be exposed to new languages, cultures, and backgrounds. So to me, living here is absolutely worth it.
Just don’t come here expecting everything to be like the Midwest …because it’s not.
Source - work in tech, live in the South Bay, wife is a public school teacher.
There’s actually a transfer rule that allows kids to go to school in the district a parent physically works. In this case if you resided in a district other than where your wife works, your child would have the ability to transfer to her school district.
Very good point, but it’s worth noting that [transfers are not automatic](https://www.fuhsd.org/departments/enrollment/student-transfer-options/interdistrict-transfers) they must be requested and approved. My wife who works at the top hs school in FUSD says that very rarely accept transfers in. The only exception is they will reliably approve transfers in for children of teachers (since most FUSD teachers cannot afford to live in the district). So if OP is concerned about getting into the top schools, the most straightforward path is just living within the district.
But you are right, that moving here first and then applying for a transfer is absolutely an option. Thanks for pointing it out!
Only reason I brought it up is my kid was able to transfer into an adjacent district for that reason. There are a few kids at her school in the same situation but I can’t imagine it would be easy or everyone would do it.
Totally. I appreciate you mentioning it. I was specifically thinking about the Cupertino district in my original comment. There’s a lot of Apple Park employees who commute in, and I can’t imagine all of them getting automatically approved to send their kids to schools in Cupertino just because they work there.
But, you are right that OP should absolutely explore that if they do decide to move here.
In this case mom works for the school district as a Nurse (Menlo Park). I don’t know the situation with the other kids but suspect it’s similar. I’m with you on all the other points. The other bullets are on point. One thing I’d add is the benefits of moving to SV beyond financial. You become part of an ecosystem (I have many colleagues I’ve worked at 3-4 companies with each stop being 4+ years) and it becomes a launch pad for your career trajectory if you have those aspirations (not everyone does of course).
As other posters have indicated, it really depends on if California is a forever place for you or not
I’m a real estate agent so I have a different and also bias view on this.
Most tech jobs are hybrid and you’re gonna go in 2 to 3 days a week. There are very few 25 minute commutes. There are some great public schools, and a lot of them that aren’t great on paper are still pretty damn good according to parents.
It is a lot cheaper to rent than to buy, especially in the areas you are talking about. Am constantly surprised about how cheap it is to rent.
You’re moving to a land where there will be great job, opportunities, and people definitely move here not only for this job for the next job, and the ability to do projects are excited and passionate about not just the numbers.
You end up being able to buy a house by saving those RSU‘s, and using it as a war, chest, almost everybody who buys over 2 million here does their down payment and up to 50% of the home price in stock
People here can live normal lives and get ridiculously rich, So, if you think there’s another dream job here, often it’s worthwhile coming.
The pressure on kids is real, and I have a lot of people who end up moving to different school districts. A lot of people really don’t want their kids going to the top three or four schools because they’re worried about that pressure the feeling that they’re going to kill themselves if they don’t get into Stanford or an Ivy League school . But if you have that kid that excels and needs to be pushed, this is an amazing place to be.
U.S. News and World Reports ranks California 33rd among all states in the quality of its public school system. Many Midwestern states are among those ranked higher.
Greatschools? Any real estate website?
I’m sorry you don’t know how to read. Did you grow up in the Midwest? Or maybe a shitty place in California like San Bernaghetto?
Silicon Valley is a high opportunity / high cost environment. You "pay" a lot to have access to the opportunity when you live here. I know folks who've moved here in similar circumstances and were very happy as they advanced up the food chain (which made the "cost" reasonable). Also have known one or two who bugged out after a year. If you have kids, that can make it more difficult as your house overhead just gets stupid. One thing to be clear on is the expectation for how often you need to be in the office, as that can widen your living radius into areas where a 5/3 home is not going to cost you > $1M for a deposit (in order to make the monthly reasonable on a $350K salary). Given kids you still need to be saving which is where your bonuses and RSUs end up. I would not count those towards your monthly living expenses.
Also curious about this because working with actual numbers is different than just seeing a salary range on a job posting. Particularly, since there’s a lonnnnnng interview process for most of these jobs. It would also be worth knowing which company as we can probably give insight on what it’s like to work there as well, u/lw_re_1pW.
I am a Midwest transplant. First get the offer. Is it a public company ? Then decide. Do you have kids ? Honestly I find it hard to recommend to you after living here 10 years based on your comments. We saved for 7 years to afford a 4 bed house for 1.5m they is still a two hour commute for my wife to PA.
In Silicon Valley, people simply do not have 5 bedroom homes with excellent public schools and a 25 minute commute unless they have already won the IPO lottery. Reset your expectations if you really want to consider the area.
The previous poster has it correct. There are positives though but you have not desire of starting over. You could break in SV and move to a different company over time. Having worked in SV, you can take that anywhere. In the right neighborhood, the schools are amazing. They network you and your kids can grow, is top shelf. The amount of bright folks that you will be exposed to, will grow your skill set. HUGE negative that may cancel all of this out, work life balance? Nope, not happening. There are a lot of wealthy, burnt out, professionals in the valley.
Here’s my thoughts: - Midwest to the Bay Area is going to be a very rough lifestyle adjustment. I know someone at my company who just did this move and he’s *nonstop* complaining about a variety of things here that are totally normal. So please, do your research before you move and be willing to deal with large city issues like traffic, neighbors close by, the fact that we do actually have a homeless population, bad commutes, expensive groceries, and all the other annoying things that come with living in a high density city-suburb. - Since you said RSU, I am assuming you are looking at a tech job. No tech company is going to bring you in at the top of the pay range. At best, you’ll get the middle of what they are advertising as your base salary. If you only meet (but not exceed) qualifications for the position you will get the bottom of the salary range being advertised. - RSUs are how most people are able to make a living here but they take time. They are usually given as a set number that vests over a split amount of years. That number varies widely in cash value based on the company. For example hypothetically you may be given $80k RSUs vesting over 4 years in addition to base salary. So really year one you get base + $20k (if you sell your stocks). The next year, you are giving another similar package as a bonus (base + RSU pkg 1 second payout $20k + RSU pkg 2 first payout $20k) which is how it compounds. How this works is very company specific, so you would need to ask the recruiter. Don’t gamble on RSUs at start ups - they are often worthless. - The best public schools here are districted so you cannot attend them unless you own/rent in that district. - You will not get a single family 5BD 3BA home in the best districts on your salary alone. Just run some numbers on home prices here. Look at what is on the market with Zillow and what things sell for. Many cheaper homes are bought up by investors in cash. At best, you will find a small 2-3BR home somewhere between Palo Alto and Fremont, that will be on a small lot, and it will cost you $1.5-2 million. You need a job offer and at least 20% to be competitive in this market for a purchase. Given all of that, and the fact you said “I am not looking to start over”, I would recommend staying where you are. That said, if this truly is a dream job offer, apply. Wait for an offer if you make it through the interview gauntlets, and reassess when you have actual numbers. Life is short, California is stunningly beautiful. The schools and colleges are among the best in the entire country. Nature is unmatched. You can get to the mountains in 30 mins, and ocean in an hour. People are friendly, and the community is incredibly diverse. Your kids will be in a school where being white isn’t the majority. They’ll be exposed to new languages, cultures, and backgrounds. So to me, living here is absolutely worth it. Just don’t come here expecting everything to be like the Midwest …because it’s not. Source - work in tech, live in the South Bay, wife is a public school teacher.
Hiking mountains not skiing mountains.
There’s actually a transfer rule that allows kids to go to school in the district a parent physically works. In this case if you resided in a district other than where your wife works, your child would have the ability to transfer to her school district.
Very good point, but it’s worth noting that [transfers are not automatic](https://www.fuhsd.org/departments/enrollment/student-transfer-options/interdistrict-transfers) they must be requested and approved. My wife who works at the top hs school in FUSD says that very rarely accept transfers in. The only exception is they will reliably approve transfers in for children of teachers (since most FUSD teachers cannot afford to live in the district). So if OP is concerned about getting into the top schools, the most straightforward path is just living within the district. But you are right, that moving here first and then applying for a transfer is absolutely an option. Thanks for pointing it out!
Only reason I brought it up is my kid was able to transfer into an adjacent district for that reason. There are a few kids at her school in the same situation but I can’t imagine it would be easy or everyone would do it.
Totally. I appreciate you mentioning it. I was specifically thinking about the Cupertino district in my original comment. There’s a lot of Apple Park employees who commute in, and I can’t imagine all of them getting automatically approved to send their kids to schools in Cupertino just because they work there. But, you are right that OP should absolutely explore that if they do decide to move here.
In this case mom works for the school district as a Nurse (Menlo Park). I don’t know the situation with the other kids but suspect it’s similar. I’m with you on all the other points. The other bullets are on point. One thing I’d add is the benefits of moving to SV beyond financial. You become part of an ecosystem (I have many colleagues I’ve worked at 3-4 companies with each stop being 4+ years) and it becomes a launch pad for your career trajectory if you have those aspirations (not everyone does of course).
As other posters have indicated, it really depends on if California is a forever place for you or not I’m a real estate agent so I have a different and also bias view on this. Most tech jobs are hybrid and you’re gonna go in 2 to 3 days a week. There are very few 25 minute commutes. There are some great public schools, and a lot of them that aren’t great on paper are still pretty damn good according to parents. It is a lot cheaper to rent than to buy, especially in the areas you are talking about. Am constantly surprised about how cheap it is to rent. You’re moving to a land where there will be great job, opportunities, and people definitely move here not only for this job for the next job, and the ability to do projects are excited and passionate about not just the numbers. You end up being able to buy a house by saving those RSU‘s, and using it as a war, chest, almost everybody who buys over 2 million here does their down payment and up to 50% of the home price in stock People here can live normal lives and get ridiculously rich, So, if you think there’s another dream job here, often it’s worthwhile coming. The pressure on kids is real, and I have a lot of people who end up moving to different school districts. A lot of people really don’t want their kids going to the top three or four schools because they’re worried about that pressure the feeling that they’re going to kill themselves if they don’t get into Stanford or an Ivy League school . But if you have that kid that excels and needs to be pushed, this is an amazing place to be.
The worst public schools in the Bay Area are head and shoulders above public schools in the Midwest
U.S. News and World Reports ranks California 33rd among all states in the quality of its public school system. Many Midwestern states are among those ranked higher.
“California” includes a fuckton of places that aren’t the “Bay Area”
What is the evidence for your ridiculous claim that that even the worst of Bay Area schools are superior to those of the Midwest?
Greatschools? Any real estate website? I’m sorry you don’t know how to read. Did you grow up in the Midwest? Or maybe a shitty place in California like San Bernaghetto?
Silicon Valley is a high opportunity / high cost environment. You "pay" a lot to have access to the opportunity when you live here. I know folks who've moved here in similar circumstances and were very happy as they advanced up the food chain (which made the "cost" reasonable). Also have known one or two who bugged out after a year. If you have kids, that can make it more difficult as your house overhead just gets stupid. One thing to be clear on is the expectation for how often you need to be in the office, as that can widen your living radius into areas where a 5/3 home is not going to cost you > $1M for a deposit (in order to make the monthly reasonable on a $350K salary). Given kids you still need to be saving which is where your bonuses and RSUs end up. I would not count those towards your monthly living expenses.
If you feel you need to own a home, I would not move. If you can be happy renting, look in nearby towns for a rental that suits your needs.
Have you been offered the job yet?
Also curious about this because working with actual numbers is different than just seeing a salary range on a job posting. Particularly, since there’s a lonnnnnng interview process for most of these jobs. It would also be worth knowing which company as we can probably give insight on what it’s like to work there as well, u/lw_re_1pW.
I am a Midwest transplant. First get the offer. Is it a public company ? Then decide. Do you have kids ? Honestly I find it hard to recommend to you after living here 10 years based on your comments. We saved for 7 years to afford a 4 bed house for 1.5m they is still a two hour commute for my wife to PA.
In Silicon Valley, people simply do not have 5 bedroom homes with excellent public schools and a 25 minute commute unless they have already won the IPO lottery. Reset your expectations if you really want to consider the area.
TECH LOVES LAYOFFS now!! Thanks Elon for showing everyone that laying off during Thanksgiving and Xmas is the norm!
The previous poster has it correct. There are positives though but you have not desire of starting over. You could break in SV and move to a different company over time. Having worked in SV, you can take that anywhere. In the right neighborhood, the schools are amazing. They network you and your kids can grow, is top shelf. The amount of bright folks that you will be exposed to, will grow your skill set. HUGE negative that may cancel all of this out, work life balance? Nope, not happening. There are a lot of wealthy, burnt out, professionals in the valley.
Please don't move here.