Alley vs Valley: The Costs of Business in the Silicon Meccas

The article concludes that SF beats NYC, which surprised me. SF has an even bigger advantage if you locate on the Peninsula south of SF: no local payroll tax, cheaper office space. Northern San Mateo County has Bart service, so the commute is easy for those who live in SF. The local tax rates are misleading, they are the marginal rates not actual rates for developers. The SF talent pool is expensive, but very deep. I will concede that hiring is becoming very tight, especially if your company is not very interesting. In that case I suggest that you locate in LA, thereby raising the general level of developer excitement in both areas. :D