CA is the 5th worst state in getting value for your money (2015, apartment)

[dexter14]

No real shock here but interesting to see where other states rank in comparison.

The Relative Value of $100 Changes by State

[mongozx]

That's sucks! Time to move to Texas and stop pissin and moanin! Right mbell?

[Mr5150]

I hear Mississippi is lovely in the Spring.

[LexusNexus]

Analytics...nerd nonsense. The intangibles, they matter.

[thelopez2]

Let's all focus on becoming #1 and give DC a run for their money.

[stan4]

Your best bet is to live brown/orange.
You get good bang for buck without foregoing amenities.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by mbell75

No real shock here but interesting to see where other states rank in comparison.

The Relative Value of $100 Changes by State

Shh! Did you hear that? I could swear I heard Arkansas and Mississippi calling to you.

[recycled]

Today I took a drive out to Palos Verdes Peninsula. The sky was clear, sun was shining, temperature was over 80F/27C at mid day, and there was a light breeze. The ocean water was calm, there were hundreds of boats on the water. This is mid February, and it felt like heaven on earth. Priceless.

I haven't turned on the heat in my apartment since January 2. All the windows are wide open this afternoon. Most of the extra money I would save by living in most of those low cost of living places would be spent on heating bills in winter and AC bills in summer. Also I don't have to spend big bucks on an expensive vacation to escape a low cost place with climate extremes or lack of local amenities. I worked in low cost Georgia and lived in low cost Alabama for a couple of years in the late 1990s, so I know the trade offs.

[EdJS]

The one thing that article shows, once again, is that money isn't everything. Of course Mississippi is less expensive than California. Everyone knows that. But it's worth the extra money to live in California instead of Mississippi. At least, that's what I, and a lot of other people, think.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by recycled

Today I took a drive out to Palos Verdes Peninsula. The sky was clear, sun was shining, temperature was over 80F/27C at mid day, and there was a light breeze. The ocean water was calm, there were hundreds of boats on the water. This is mid February, and it felt like heaven on earth. Priceless.

I haven't turned on the heat in my apartment since January 2. All the windows are wide open this afternoon. Most of the extra money I would save by living in most of those low cost of living places would be spent on heating bills in winter and AC bills in summer. Also I don't have to spend big bucks on an expensive vacation to escape a low cost place with climate extremes or lack of local amenities. I worked in low cost Georgia and lived in low cost Alabama for a couple of years in the late 1990s, so I know the trade offs.

Excellent post. There are many places $100 would go further including Plano, TX. Only problem is when you wake up in the morning in your new, fancy house and look out the window you are still in... Plano, TX!

We experienced the same thing in moving to Colorado. Granted waking up to CO is a lot nicer than Plano as are many other less expensive locations. But with no decent coastline for 1000s of miles it was a real deal breaker for us. Sometimes you don't know what you've got 'till its gone.

Bottom line is this: which location provides you the best quality of life 'all' things considered? If a loaf of bread and gallon of gas are cheaper somewhere will that place really provide you the 'overall' quality of life you seek? Cheaper goods alone do not really matter in the end if you are unhappy with where you live. Will that new Shangri La offer things which may matter more such as culture, climate, amenities, geographic diversity, natural beauty and other less tangible qualities of significance? There is no one right answer to this question. But if the answer for you is yes then please move to TX, NC, FL, TN, MO, KS, AK, etc... and enjoy! It's really that simple, isn't it? CA is not for everyone, though millions of people happily call it home. And many others are still trying to find their way here. So why stay if its not a good fit and you are miserable? Life is too short for that.

Derek