That is kind of depressing. My wife would swear I was joking if I told her that we could rent a house for $3,000 more than our mortgage that was less than half size and looks like something built in the 70s.

And people on HN wonder why software engineers living in other major cities in the US have no interest in going to the west coast.

Nobody wonders why. The Bay Area is clearly more expensive than anywhere else other than NYC. Nobody has ever argued that that isn't true. The salaries are also significantly higher, to compensate.

What is being argued here is whether you can live comfortably on a six figure net salary (after taxes).

That housing is expensive in the bay area does suck, no doubt, and is super annoying. But it's far worse for non-engineers. Engineers are fine, and frankly, are the ones who are driving the prices up, by virtue of being capable of and willing to pay more, as companies continue to increase compensation.

Are the salaries “significantly enough higher” that someone moving to the Bay Area could buy a 3000 square foot 5 bed/3-1/2 bath house with a large office, as soon as they move there?

The average software as a service CRUD journeymen developer could do that in many non west coast cities could do that with an FHA loan with less than $15K down with 3-5 with a salary they can make with around 5 years experience. If they are part of a married dual income couple they would be quite comfortable.

They look like they were built in the 70s because they were. That generation decided there were enough houses and promptly banned building any new ones - so we've still got the same ones.

For some reason most of them have the original gross beige carpet too.

OTOH, they do - frequently. If you can bank half your take home which is totally doable you get to move out and buy whatever home you like nearly wherever you like and retire.

Or if you are married dual income earner you can get a job anywhere else, not have to spend $5000 a month rent just to live in a small 35 year old house, live off one income and save the other.....

It’s 90 degrees plus 4 months of the year in many parts of the Bay Area, such as San Jose. So yes, you need air conditioning.

I grew up in San Jose. It's more like 2-3 weeks out of the year where air conditioning 'would be nice'

Me too. You’re right that it’s 90+ a few weeks cumulatively. Although the data is a little old.

Last year there were at least 2 weeks of 100+ degrees at my house. It’s a personal preference, over 80 I need ac. I’m sure some people like heat more. There are ~80 days a year it’s over 80 degrees.

Source: https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/California/Places/san...

Also point out the high doesn't last that long usually. Not like Phoenix where it'll be 90 degrees at 1am and you have trouble sleeping. When I lived in San Jose in August and September I'd just open the windows at night and close them in the morning. Usually the house would stay bearable though the afternoon and early evening.

I remember May and June weather as 'nice'. August and early September as 'hot'. And then October through early December as 'nice'.