considering florida > california

hey all!

so my boyfriend (26m) and i (27m) have been discussing leaving florida for a while.

for context, we are both queer, trans, young professionals really struggling to thrive here in florida. we also arent huge fans of the climate. like we dont mind the warmth but sometimes it is just way too much.

ive really been eying san francisco as a very walkable, queer friendly area. and people in my field (paralegals) make much better money than i would here. ofc as with most people, my main concern with cali is the COL. i was wondering if there were areas in the general SF area (within maybe like 30 minutes) that are generally cheaper to live, but not so far removed from the city that i might as well not be there.

or, if anyone has gone from orlando to san fran/cali, how was the transition?

my boyfriend also stresses about the natural disasters cali has sometimes (ie wildfires, earthquakes). how common are those in SF so i can calm his worries?