Austin (Texas) vs San Francisco (California): tax, residence and.

Austin vs San Francisco.

Austin against San Francisco, both in 🇺🇸 United States, on tax, residence, cost, and the life. Same model, same year, no brochure.

In short, current to September 2026

On $1,000,000 of income, Austin takes an effective 33% and San Francisco takes 43%, so Austin leaves about $104K more in hand each year on Patrician's 2026 model.
On a capital gain realized after residence begins, Austin charges 24% and San Francisco charges 37%. On a $5,000,000 event that is a difference of about $665K.
Neither United States nor United States operates a special regime for arriving foreigners, so both are modeled on ordinary resident rates.
Inheritance, what a child pays: 40% above $15M in Austin, 40% above $15M in San Francisco.
Route in: Austin by Residence by investment, Founder & talent. San Francisco by Residence by investment, Founder & talent.
Cost of the life is 78 in Austin against 112 in San Francisco on Patrician's index where Zurich is 100, and safety 7 against 5 of 10. Both are Patrician editorial indices scored by us, not published statistics.

Source: the Patrician.ch board, an original ranking of 100 residence addresses across 48 countries and territories. Tax rates, thresholds and routes are sourced. Cost, safety, schools, sun and beauty are Patrician.ch editorial indices. Figures current to September 2026. Updated 23 September 2026. Cite as: Patrician.ch, Austin (Texas) vs San Francisco (California): tax, residence and., patrician.ch/compare/aus-vs-sfo/, September 2026.

	Austin	San Francisco
Effective tax at $300K	25%	33%
Effective tax at $1M	33%	43%
Effective tax at $3M	36%	48%
Kept at $1M	$674K	$570K
Capital gains	24%	37%
Inheritance tax, children	40% above $15M	40% above $15M
Cost index (Zurich 100)	78	112
Safety	7/10	5/10
Schools	7/10	7/10
Sun hours	2,650	3,060
Supercar street index	#72	#43
Routes in	Residence by investment, Founder & talent	Residence by investment, Founder & talent
Net millionaire inflow 2025 (country, Henley)	+7,500	+7,500
Flight London	10.6	11.5
Flight New York	4	6.1

Simplified marginal model, indicative 2026 brackets, non-US single filer, no social contributions, deductions, wealth taxes, or treaties. Inheritance is shown as it falls on a child, current to September 2026.

By profile

How each profile reads.

For an executive on salary

Austin (Texas) keeps more of a $1M salary, $104K a year on this model. San Francisco (California) answers with the life itself.

For a founder with an exit

Capital gains: Austin 24%, San Francisco 37%. Exit rules apply. San Francisco (California): California taxes capital gains as ordinary income, so an exit here can lose 37% between federal and state. The order of the move and the sale changes the charge more than any other variable on this board.

For a family

Austin (Texas) leads on safety and a lower cost, San Francisco (California) on sun. Schools are level.

AustinThe full page San FranciscoThe full page Rank both on my numbersThe engine, 90 seconds

Questions

Which keeps more of a $1M income, Austin or San Francisco?

Austin, by about $104K a year on Patrician.ch's 2026 model.

Austin takes an effective 33% of $1,000,000 and San Francisco takes 43%. At $3,000,000 the rates are 36% and 48%.

Which taxes capital gains less, Austin or San Francisco?

Austin, at 24% against 37% in San Francisco.

On a $5,000,000 liquidity event realized after residence begins, the difference is about $665K.

Which is better for inheritance, Austin or San Francisco?

Both tax children. What a child pays: 40% above $15M in Austin, 40% above $15M in San Francisco.

The US taxes an estate at 40% above $15M per person in 2026. A US citizen spouse inherits free.

Which is cheaper to live in, Austin or San Francisco?

Austin, at 78 on the Patrician.ch cost index against 112 for San Francisco, where Zurich is 100.

Safety scores 7 of 10 in Austin and 5 of 10 in San Francisco, schools 7 and 7. These are Patrician.ch editorial indices, not published statistics.

The Dossier: Austin, San Francisco, and the third you have not considered.Your top 3 modeled on your income, exit, passports, and family. 10 chapters, written the moment you pay, usually ready within 2 minutes. The Dossier is $500. The founding price, $250, holds until 31 October. Refunded within 7 days if it does not change how you think.

Get the Dossier

Your position, not the average

This page is the general case. Your income and passports rank all 100 differently.

The engine takes what you earn and what you hold, then orders every address on the board against it.

Rank the board against my position →

90 seconds. No account, no payment.

The general case, ranked: Where should high earners live in 2026 · Best country to live in if you are rich · Best countries for high earners after tax · Europe · United States

Tax figures use a simplified marginal model with indicative 2026 brackets for a non-US single filer, ignore social contributions, most deductions, wealth taxes, and treaties, and are not advice. Residence rules change often. Verify before acting.