Head to head
Newport Beach (California) vs San Diego (California).
🇺🇸 United States against 🇺🇸 United States, on tax, residence, cost, and the life. Same model, same year, no brochure.
🇺🇸 United States against 🇺🇸 United States, on tax, residence, cost, and the life. Same model, same year, no brochure.
| Newport Beach (California) | San Diego (California) | |
|---|---|---|
| Effective tax at $300K | 33% | 33% |
| Effective tax at $1M | 43% | 43% |
| Effective tax at $3M | 48% | 48% |
| Kept at $1M | $570K | $570K |
| Capital gains | 37% | 37% |
| Cost index (Zurich 100) | 130 | 100 |
| Safety | 9/10 | 7/10 |
| Schools | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Sun hours | 3,000 | 3,055 |
| Supercar street index | #17 | #46 |
| Routes in | Golden visa, Founder & talent | Golden visa, Founder & talent |
| Net millionaire inflow 2025 (country, Henley) | +7,500 | +7,500 |
| Flight London | 11.7 | 11.7 |
| Flight New York | 5.8 | 5.8 |
Simplified marginal model, indicative 2026 brackets, non-US single filer, no social contributions, deductions, wealth taxes, or treaties.
San Diego (California) keeps more of a $1M salary, $0 a year on this model. Newport Beach (California) answers with safety.
Capital gains land at 37% in both. Exit rules apply. San Diego (California): California taxes capital gains as ordinary income, so an exit here can lose 37% between federal and state. The order of operations, move first or sell first, is worth more than any other decision on this board.
Newport Beach (California) leads on safety, San Diego (California) on a lower cost and sun. Schools are level.
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.
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.