Orange County Vs. San Diego County

U.S.A. California

Published

Can someone please compare and contrast both parts of Southern California for me? I'm debating on which part of california I want to move too. Which has more traffic, or is it the same? Do RNs get paid the same in both counties? Also my big thing is, how is the weather in San Diego compared to Orange county? Is it warm enough in San Diego to wear a tanktop all year round?

When I say orange county I am referring to more coastal orange county areas such as Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo. I want to live somewhere close to the beach and not have to drive in a bunch of traffic on my way to work. So i'd like to live close to where I work obviously. I'm going to be moving to California after I gradute from nursing school next year. I'll be 22 when I move so I'd also like to live somewhere fun with lots of young people.

Specializes in Home Health-IV Infusion.

South O.C. is nice & pleasant..Good schools and communities.

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Specializes in Ortho/Neuro/Trauma.

Hi luvto shopp!

Thought I would help you out here...I grew up in Orange County (Irvine, Newport, Costa Mesa area) for 22 years and moved to San Diego 18 months ago for my nursing program.

I think your move really depends on what you're looking for socially/living wise. Are you a single person looking to meet new people, go out on weekends, etc. Are you married with kids/married with a husband, looking to buy property etc?

Anyways, the areas of OC you're referring to, maybe with the exception of Huntington Beach, are very suburban and family friendly. South County is primarily the areas with residential housing, new families, pretty high rent prices, and unless you're living by one of the colleges like Chapman or Cal State Fullerton you might find the social scene to be a little blah. However, if you;re looking to settle down, start a family, i personally LOVED being raised in South Orange County and hope to do the same for my future kids.

With that said, I think San Diego has a much better young social scene, and I'm not just talking about the San Diego State/UCSD 18-22 scene. There are plenty of young 20-something professionals in san diego and lots of areas to go out and live in where you're meet a lot more people your age. Also, there's al ot more hospitals and hospital systems to pick from in San Diego. Basically a hospital in almost every "neighborhood."

Oh and if it's shopping you're worried about, take it from a shoppaholic who grew up in the aisles of South Coast Plaza in OC: between Fashion Valley, UTC in La Jolla, Mission Valley, and downtown Horton Plaza and all the Westfield Malls around the county, nowadays you can find just about any great shopping no matter where you are in Southern California. One of the reasons I hardly ever head up to the LA area :)

I hope that helps from someone with experience living as a 20-something in both areas of So Cal! I think no matter where you chose, you'll love it. You really cant beat Southern California (

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