California: The exception to everything the U.S. is known for! (San Jose: appointed, for sale)

[aslowdodge]

Originally Posted by Mr5150

But while your POV
Has merit, cost of living is not the most important factor in choosing to live where one does. Do I want to leave an area I love? Or leave my long term friends, a community I am part of and my dentist and trusted mechanic? Short answer is no. Too many people who post here only seem to consider COL and taxes and would move to Kentucky at a drop of a hat.
See above. But yea LA is not CA in culture or COL

When it comes to quality of life, how does the price of gas factor in?

Please reread the op's post. They made no mention of quality of life, just costs and said it was cheaper in California. I have no issues if the lifestyle is a deciding factor over cost, but the OP said it costs less in California. How does state income tax cost for the OP get lower when the rate is higher unless they took a 50% pay cut coming to Ca? He also described every person that moved out of California as ignorant wjhich is a pretty broad generalization.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by aslowdodge

Yep, just keep patting yourself on the back about what an enlightened thinker you are and everyone that moved out is an ignorant hater. Perfect California attitude looking down on everyone else.

Let's see . . .
Arizona individual income tax rate is 4.54%, while Californians need to pay 9.3%, almost double.
State sales tax is also lower in Arizona being 6.60% in comparison with 7.25% in California.
Gas in Az is 2.83 and California is 3.64.
Auto insurance is avg $1846 in Ca. Arizona is $1449 , 78% of California cost.

Not sure how you figure out your costs, but I'd venture to say you aren't as enlightened or as wonderful a thinker you think you are.

Now if you get paid half as much as you did in Az, your income taxes will be less. Maybe you are on government aid. Maybe you now drive a crappy cheap car so insurance is less.

Maybe those ignorant haters are smarter than you because they can do math?

Income tax in California is progressive, for a single person earning 40k a year the income tax is almost the same in California as in Arizona, $1006 in California vs $943 in Arizona

Sales tax in Phoenix is 8.6% in Sacramento County it's 7.75%

Gas in Phoenix is $2.75, in Sacramento County it's $3.03

Auto insurance varies so much by company and zip code that I'm not sure you can make a comparison by location. We live in a zip code with a lot of accidents but we pay $1100 a year for full coverage on two vehicles 50,000/100,000 liability and $250 comprehensive/collision deductible - but AAA wanted $2400 for the same coverage.

From what I can see, saving money wouldn't be a great reason to move to Arizona. I'm not saying that it's a bad place or that people shouldn't move there but there are other states that have lower tax and cheaper gas if that's what you're looking for. And there's the costs of heating/cooling. No one told us when we moved to Reno that heating a 2900 sq ft house with 11 foot ceilings would cost $400 a month for about 5 months out of the year, and I'm sure that people moving to Arizona probably aren't ready for the sticker shock of their utility bill in the summer.

[Finper]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

Income tax in California is progressive, for a single person earning 40k a year the income tax is almost the same in California as in Arizona, $1006 in California vs $943 in Arizona

Sales tax in Phoenix is 8.6% in Sacramento County it's 7.75%

Gas in Phoenix is $2.75, in Sacramento County it's $3.03

Auto insurance varies so much by company and zip code that I'm not sure you can make a comparison by location. We live in a zip code with a lot of accidents but we pay $1100 a year for full coverage on two vehicles 50,000/100,000 liability and $250 comprehensive/collision deductible - but AAA wanted $2400 for the same coverage.

From what I can see, saving money wouldn't be a great reason to move to Arizona. I'm not saying that it's a bad place or that people shouldn't move there but there are other states that have lower tax and cheaper gas if that's what you're looking for. And there's the costs of heating/cooling. No one told us when we moved to Reno that heating a 2900 sq ft house with 11 foot ceilings would cost $400 a month for about 5 months out of the year, and I'm sure that people moving to Arizona probably aren't ready for the sticker shock of their utility bill in the summer.

I just googled gas in Sacramento and it said 3.23. When my friends moved to Cameron Park their electric bill shocked them it was so high. I was there and they ran around turning the ceiling fans off. People that move to Arizona are well aware their electric bill will not be low in the summer

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by Finper

I just googled gas in Sacramento and it said 3.23. When my friends moved to Cameron Park their electric bill shocked them it was so high. I was there and they ran around turning the ceiling fans off. People that move to Arizona are well aware they're electric bill will not be low in the summer

I'm not going to lie to you about the price of gas, geez...the Arco near my house was 3.03 today, here's Gas Buddy's list of the lowest priced gas but the gas station where I filled up today is not on the list. https://www.gasbuddy.com/GasPrices/California

Cameron Park is serviced by PG&E so yes, the rates are very high. We have SMUD where I live which is about 30% lower and we have a well insulated house surrounded by trees so our summer AC bill is very low, for the most part we just use ceiling fans and the AC only kicks on when the temp in the house is over 82.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

I'm not going to lie to you about the price of gas, geez...the Arco near my house was 3.03 today, here's Gas Buddy's list of the lowest priced gas but the gas station where I filled up today is not on the list. https://www.gasbuddy.com/GasPrices/California

Cameron Park is serviced by PG&E so yes, the rates are very high. We have SMUD where I live which is about 30% lower and we have a well insulated house surrounded by trees so our summer AC bill is very low, for the most part we just use ceiling fans and the AC only kicks on when the temp in the house is over 82.

Yep, plus you get the Delta breezes coming off the Pacific in Sacramento during the evenings. So it cools down more making its quite a bit different than other land locked locations in AZ, for example. Then you can drive to the coast for a major cool down in just a couple hours, another thing that won't be happening living further east. That was one of the draws for us and of course close proximity to the High Sierra including Lake Tahoe. Its hard to get large bodies of water (ocean, mountain lakes, big rivers) next to amazing mountains along with a decent sized city. Overall, Sacramento is an excellent choice to live more affordably within CA.

Derek

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

Yep, plus you get the Delta breezes in Sacramento during the evenings coming of the Pacific. So it cools down more making its quite a bit different than land locked location in AZ, for example. And then you can drive to the coast for a major cool down in just a couple hours, another thing that won't happen living further east. That was one of the draws for us and of course close proximity to the High Sierra including Lake Tahoe. Overall, Sacramento is an excellent choice to live more affordably within CA.

Derek

I spent most of my life living in the SF Bay Area and wasn't sure that I would like Sacramento but after living here for 5 years I can't imagine living anywhere else.

[Vic Romano]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

No one told us when we moved to Reno that heating a 2900 sq ft house with 11 foot ceilings would cost $400 a month for about 5 months out of the year...

What? What part of Reno did you live? This past year I don't think we had a month over $200 and our home is only slightly smaller...

[Eli34]

Originally Posted by MrJester

Next time your friends say any of the below:

Canada has more:

liberal politics
expensive gas
expensive home prices
more crowded development
taxes
environmental regulations
gun control
atheists
Asians

than America, say:

"I agree, except in California!"

Canada has a way better public school system that has not been gutted by private and charter schools like in the U.S. Also, college is cheaper up there and healthcare is is accessible to everyone. You don't have the deep pockets of poverty, the huge gaps between rich and poor. It's more middle class up there. And really it's only the big cities like Toronto and Vancouver that are expensive...everywhere else is relatively affordable. In my mind, Canadian and California taxes are about the same, but it seems like you get more bang for your money up in Canada.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by Vic Romano

What? What part of Reno did you live? This past year I don't think we had a month over $200 and our home is only slightly smaller...

SW Reno elevation 5,189 ft.

[Vic Romano]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

SW Reno elevation 5,189 ft.

Hmmmmm...shouldn't be that much difference in heating costs compared to Spanish Springs.