Is California turning into a expensive state or something?

[adysmom]

Originally Posted by wclac

Seeing how high prices are like the gas, the homes, etc, I'm starting to think that they're trying to make California into a state for millionaires.

Like, I guess if people want to live in Cali permanantly, then they have to be a millionaire if that's the case.

What's going on in Cali? Is there a decline in the state's middle class population or something like that?

I think you'll find the state's middle class population is packing up and moving out. And when people retire same thing pack and get.

[Californiaguy2007]

Some parts of California is outrageously expensive while other parts are not....I live in Kern County and prices for new homes here have dropped into the $100,000-$200,000 range.

[mateo45]

Folks leave for alot of different reasons, but the 2 largest groups lately seem to be the retirees looking to stretch their income, and middle to lower income families with less education and job skills, that can't get along in California like they used to, 30-40 years ago.

Even internally the whole state is headed that way, with the coastal areas becoming a sort of American Riviera, affordable only for those with the right incomes (and usually the right educations to go with it), or else the poor who are willing to adapt to crowding and much less. The rest have to move farther inland, where land and the cost of living is lower, but often so are the wages as well. Some just pack up and leave altogether, moving back to their "roots", in places like Oklahoma, Arkansas, Wyoming, Texas, Colorado, the South, etc.

[Rhenzanite]

I live on the central coast of California, a mile or two away from the beach. I'm lower middle class (less than 40,000 a year) and I'm living very comfortably. I live in a 3 bedroom house with room to spare, don't worry about money all that much and save quite a bit. My fiancee is finishing up college, so he only works parttime, so I'm also contributing part of his 'share' of rent/utilities/food etc.

You can do it... it's not all that difficult. I think it's the fact that people WANT too damn much. They want the 5000 sqft 4 bedroom house directly on the water and aren't willing to settle for the cute small beach house. We live simply, but have more than enough to be comfortable.