Denver-Aurora-Centennial San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Unfavorable
Cost Index: 105.8 → 115.6
Rent Delta: +$823/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + $17K higher median salary

Cons of Moving

  • - 10% higher cost of living
  • - $823/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
  • - Higher student-teacher ratios
  • - More expensive childcare
  • - More environmental violations

Moving from Denver-Aurora-Centennial to San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 105.8 to 115.6 (100 = US average), so a Denver-Aurora-Centennial salary needs to be multiplied by 1.09 to hold the same purchasing power in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $2,089/month in Denver-Aurora-Centennial to $2,912/month in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont - a higher monthly bill of $823, or $9,876/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.

Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $78,519 in Denver-Aurora-Centennial versus $95,708 in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont - a raw gap of $17,189 higher. The San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont labor market has 2,339,300 tracked jobs against 1,580,940 in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.

Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near Denver-Aurora-Centennial and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont are 481 and 477 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 16.6:1 at origin versus 21.5:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $12,821/year in Denver-Aurora-Centennial versus $17,920/year in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont. Our composite verdict - Unfavorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
Denver-Aurora-Centennial
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 105.8
RPP 115.6
Denver-Aurora-Centennial
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$2,089/mo
$2,912/mo
Denver-Aurora-Centennial
💼 Wages
$78,519
$95,708
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
🔒 Crime
481 per 100K
477 per 100K
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
🎓 Schools
16.6:1
21.5:1
Denver-Aurora-Centennial
👶 Childcare
$12,821/yr
$17,920/yr
Denver-Aurora-Centennial
🌿 Environment
5332 violations
17550 violations
Denver-Aurora-Centennial

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in Denver-Aurora-Centennial to see what you'd need to earn in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont more expensive than Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont has an RPP of 115.6 compared to Denver-Aurora-Centennial's 105.8 (100 = national average). San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont is $2,912/mo vs $2,089/mo in Denver-Aurora-Centennial.
What are salaries like in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont compared to Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
The median salary in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont is $95,708 compared to $78,519 in Denver-Aurora-Centennial. That's a +$17,189 difference.
Is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont safer than Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
The violent crime rate near San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont is 477 per 100K vs 481 per 100K near Denver-Aurora-Centennial (state-level data). San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont to match my Denver-Aurora-Centennial salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your Denver-Aurora-Centennial salary by 1.09. For example, a $75,000 salary in Denver-Aurora-Centennial would need to be $81,970 in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Unfavorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Unfavorable" means the origin clearly wins on most dimensions. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Data Sources

  • Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
  • Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
  • Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
  • Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
  • Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
  • Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)