Los Angeles

Los Angeles is a high-upside but high-friction move for software engineers. The Reddit sentiment is split in a very LA-specific way: people who have money, the right neighborhood, a manageable commute, and genuine curiosity about the city often love it deeply; people who arrive underpaid, isolated, commuting across the basin, or expecting Hollywood polish often burn out.

As a tech city, LA is real but not as straightforward as the Bay Area or Seattle. Redditors describe meaningful opportunities across startups, defense, media/VR, corporate tech, and big-tech offices, but also say the market is competitive, referral-driven, and currently harsh for juniors. Some engineers praise the breadth of work, while others complain there is less “hardcore tech” and more ordinary or entertainment-adjacent software work.

The lifestyle is the strongest argument for moving. Residents repeatedly mention the weather, food, diversity, beaches, museums, entertainment, and endless subcultures. Several transplants from NYC, the Midwest, and abroad say LA eventually exceeded expectations once they stopped comparing it to other cities and learned how to live locally.

The tradeoff is that LA’s problems are not minor: cost of living, traffic, housing, safety concerns, homelessness, pollution, and urban sprawl come up again and again. The city ranks poorly for affordability, safety, taxes, and pollution, while ranking extremely well for sunshine and offering strong software-engineer earning potential.

Overall: LA is worth considering if you are an experienced engineer with a strong offer and a lifestyle reason to be there. It is not an easy-mode relocation city, especially for foreign or junior engineers, but for the right person it can be one of the most rewarding places in the U.S.