Planning on moving to Santa Clara CA

Hi all, I'm currently living in St. Louis, Missouri and the RN salary here is ridiculously low. I'm planning on moving to Santa Clara, CA. Does anyone know what areas are safe to live in Santa Clara? Also, I know the pay has to be higher than Missouri but how much? Please share your opinions with me. Please let me know if you work in Santa Clara hospitals. Thanks in advance. Last edit by Pinkberryz on Sep 7, '11
Hi, I am familiar with the Santa Clara area. I do not work in a hospital there but I have lived in that area. The pay is defintely better but the cost of living is high. Also, as with any where in the Bay Area, CA, we are overly saturated with nurses. It can be a challenege to find a job with or without experience. I would suggest securing a job before moving out here if you are depending on that income. If have questions about particular areas, PM me and I can give you more information.

Are you planning on lining up a job before you move? If not, then be prepared for a long term job hunt. Jobs are not plentiful in the Bay area. Santa Clara is a nice place to live, but as is the rest of the Bay area, very expensive, and very, very expensive for someone without a job.

Thanks for your replies. I'm new to AllNurses and I can't figure out how to PM. Yes, I definitely need to secure a job before making the move. In St. Louis, we are divided into counties. For example, north county is not safe to live in--high crime rates. Is it that like that in Santa Clara, any particular areas to stay away from?

You can not send PMs until you have posted at least 15 times. In general Santa Clara is a nice area, you will see once you get there.