Why do people still want to live in California? (Healdsburg: section 8, universities)

[dg628]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

Income tax in California is surprisingly progressive. A married couple earning 100k would owe $3126 in state income tax.

No bro. I’ve ran the tax calculator for union journeyman pay. They make 48/$ hr here. After taxes you’re looking at 5200 take home. That’s almost half of your paycheck gone. Thank you daddy newsom.

[jcp123]

All the tax and political stuff aside...it was a glorious place to be a kid. Barefoot year round, you can conceivably surf, golf, and ski in the same day. A breathtaking variety of different scenery and climates. Once upon a time, it wasn’t a financial liability to be in California. Now it is, but I’m forever in debt to the other qualities afforded to you by being there. If you have the means, then I say California is one of the world’s best places to be. If not, it’s pretty terrible, but I could think of worse places to really try to stretch yourself out to cover the expenses.

[amokk]

Originally Posted by dg628

No bro. I’ve ran the tax calculator for union journeyman pay. They make 48/$ hr here. After taxes you’re looking at 5200 take home. That’s almost half of your paycheck gone. Thank you daddy newsom.

100,000 gross pay


Same salary but if you drop in 19K into a 401k and 5.5K into an HSA

[jamajo7]

"Is climate really that compelling of a reason? Surely there are other places where it doesn't snow."

Yep. climate is that big of an issue. I grew up in California, Sacramento mostly. Pea soup fog was the worst thing there. Californians are outdoor people. 4-wheeling people, fishermen people, foraging people. Anywhere it snows, means there is a short summer.

Snow means bitter cold compared to Cali. It snows in parts of Cali, but most people don't live there.
Those that can afford it, have good incomes, they have invested in real estate there. Southern Cali is a completely different State than Northern.

California has a great climate for growing things. They have small towns, historic towns, lots of them. they have a bazillion food festivals because everything grows there.

Ca doesn't really have humidity issues. With humidity comes mold. [One of the 10 reasons I hate VA]

Most other States have issues of being too dry, too hot, too humid, too cold, too windy. And _that_ is the problem for finding a new place to live. What are the trade offs one can deal with?

[As Above So Below...]

I posted this in another thread but its relevant here too:

Im a native Californian. Lived there for 24 of my 37 years. In 2010, I left.

It wasnt because of politics since were pretty liberal. I simply could not afford the life I wanted there. We had a budget of $400k at the time (though that would have been higher now) and we were looking at places like Ontario. At that point, we decided the advantages of remaining in Southern California were no longer worth it. We decided to leave. We decided on Texas simply because we felt the cities would offer the most for the money (diversity, restaurants, cultural institutions, etc). We knew we were saying goodbye to pleasant weather and since we hate the cold, a place like Chicago was out. We also knew that there wouldnt be the plethora of outdoor activities available to us, but again we knew that going in.

I dont think I could see myself moving back to California. Again, I dont view it as a failed state and I love my home state very much. Texas is as "ghetto" as California so I thats not a reason either. I just have become used to the life style here. It would be hard to give that up.

[aslowdodge]

Originally Posted by Electrician4you

And that move and lifestyle change be the best thing for them. Comparing THEIR lifestyle then to now vs others in California.....is asinine. Simply because it would require both people to have identical incomes expenses and lifestyles in order to have a fair comparison. Otherwise it’s literally comparing apples to cantaloupes. My lifestyle expenses and income will not be a fair comparison to a guy making 60k a year 120,000 dollars in debt.

I disagree. There are a lot of people that have many things in common. While you may not be 120k in debt and making 60k, there certainly is someone who is.

[BGS91762]

I’m retired and my house is paid off with low property taxes due to Prop 13. Love living the CA dream and have no plans to leave.

[GuitarDaver]

Originally Posted by As Above So Below...

I posted this in another thread but its relevant here too:

Im a native Californian. Lived there for 24 of my 37 years. In 2010, I left.

It wasnt because of politics since were pretty liberal. I simply could not afford the life I wanted there. We had a budget of $400k at the time (though that would have been higher now) and we were looking at places like Ontario. At that point, we decided the advantages of remaining in Southern California were no longer worth it. We decided to leave. We decided on Texas simply because we felt the cities would offer the most for the money (diversity, restaurants, cultural institutions, etc). We knew we were saying goodbye to pleasant weather and since we hate the cold, a place like Chicago was out. We also knew that there wouldnt be the plethora of outdoor activities available to us, but again we knew that going in.

I dont think I could see myself moving back to California. Again, I dont view it as a failed state and I love my home state very much. Texas is as "ghetto" as California so I thats not a reason either. I just have become used to the life style here. It would be hard to give that up.

Yep, I'm with you brother. Headed to Texas with my family soon, like next month
Been in CA since 1997, grew up in Denver.
The people in charge of running this state are bent on driving it into the ground.
Cost Of Living no longer supports the Quality Of Life = a Business Decision to get out...

[dustin183]

Originally Posted by jamajo7

"Is climate really that compelling of a reason? Surely there are other places where it doesn't snow."

Yep. climate is that big of an issue. I grew up in California, Sacramento mostly. Pea soup fog was the worst thing there. Californians are outdoor people. 4-wheeling people, fishermen people, foraging people. Anywhere it snows, means there is a short summer.

Snow means bitter cold compared to Cali. It snows in parts of Cali, but most people don't live there.
Those that can afford it, have good incomes, they have invested in real estate there. Southern Cali is a completely different State than Northern.

California has a great climate for growing things. They have small towns, historic towns, lots of them. they have a bazillion food festivals because everything grows there.

Ca doesn't really have humidity issues. With humidity comes mold. [One of the 10 reasons I hate VA]

Most other States have issues of being too dry, too hot, too humid, too cold, too windy. And _that_ is the problem for finding a new place to live. What are the trade offs one can deal with?

This is quite an embellishment. Plenty of people who live in cold climates do outdoors stuff. You have heard of skiing, and snowboarding, and snow shoeing, and snow mobiling, and ice fishing, and I could go on and on. I live in CA now, but even we seek out snow in the winter. We go to tahoe or big bear or whereever there is snow because snow is fun.

If you grow up in snowy areas then you don't let it slow you down, it is just part of life.
And there are tons of people in CA who are not outdoors people, they sit at home and become slobs. I would say that Colorado is more of an outdoorsy state than CA.

[Igor Blevin]

California has a wonderful climate that is generally superior to most of the rest of the 48 contiguous states.

Yet 2/3rd of all Americans still live east of the Mississippi River.

Maybe there is more to quality of life than climate.