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California is a huge state with an enormous breadth of living conditions from urban to suburban to rural to out in the middle of freakin' nowhere. What you describe does not resemble my personal experience of living there in any way, shape, or form.
These are government statistics.
You can't deny the government statistics, simply because of your anecdotal experience. Also consider that many people you know might be racking up huge debt to live a middle class lifestyle and you don't realize it, as they don't brag about their debt.
California actually has a low minimum wage if you adjust for cost of living. States like Mississippi and North Dakota actually have higher minimum wages if you adjust for cost of living, which you should.
The article is not disputing that California is "much richer". It certainly is. However, it is only affordable to 51% of the population. The other 49% are close to destitute. In North Dakota, while people may not have as many Porsches or boob jobs, 68% of them are able to afford a nice middle class living, much higher than in California.
You can afford a nice house, have access to a much more diverse economic opportunities, have low tax burden, access to DC/Philly/NYC/ tons of beaches, moderate whether and still live in a Dem state like Delaware. You can get low cost of living and affordable housing in a state like Ohio, which often has many underrated cities like Columbus where there is a ton of stuff to do. Pittsburgh is much more affordable as well. Heck, even a state like GA would be much more preferable for COL savings than packing up and moving to ND. I couldn't stand -40F winters. I mean if you can live that quiet praire lifestyle more power to you, but I do not get this board's obsession with comparing CA to the Dakotas. If ND is so amazing, millions of people would have flooded into the state by now.
You can't deny the government statistics, simply because of your anecdotal experience. Also consider that many people you know might be racking up huge debt to live a middle class lifestyle and you don't realize it, as they don't brag about their debt.
California actually has a low minimum wage if you adjust for cost of living. States like Mississippi and North Dakota actually have higher minimum wages if you adjust for cost of living, which you should.
My point is that one can move away from the major cities and live comfortably, and one does not need to leave the state. California has affordable areas, too. They just don't happen to be where most people want to live. Kind of like North Dakota.
My point is that one can move away from the major cities and live comfortably, and one does not need to leave the state. California has affordable areas, too. They just don't happen to be where most people want to live. Kind of like North Dakota.
You could probably get a nice house for cheap in Barstow.
I'll probably hear it from the homers but North Dakota has the worst climate in the continental United States. Like the Arctic in winter and Death Valley in the summer. Boring scenery. Middle of nowhere. Blech! I'll take the land of the fruits and the nuts. Like an old song says: "Goin' where the climate suits my clothes. Don't wanna be treated this-a-way."
Even Oklahoma is a better state than North Dakota. Is there a pro basketball team in N. Dakota? NO!
You can't deny the government statistics, simply because of your anecdotal experience. Also consider that many people you know might be racking up huge debt to live a middle class lifestyle and you don't realize it, as they don't brag about their debt.
California actually has a low minimum wage if you adjust for cost of living. States like Mississippi and North Dakota actually have higher minimum wages if you adjust for cost of living, which you should.
This is untrue. CA has one of the highest minimum wages in the U.S.
Why would you adjust for housing values? That makes no sense. People should be paid more if market-rate homes are worth less? Why?
As a middle class citizen who has lived in Far left Connecticut and California as well as far right Texas and South Carolina I can tell you without a doubt that life is just easier for working class people making less than 100k in Red states, unless you're working for the government. It's cheaper, there are less government taxes, mandate and laws to keep up with, Your average school is better(Blue states tend to have either really good schools or terrible schools and no in-between). It's just a lot less stressful.
And yet, no one is flocking to North Dakota, because no one wants to live there.
They'd rather move to Texas, Arizona, Nevada, or Utah.
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