Originally Posted by
full of luv
This is no joke. CA taxes get you coming and going, on top of an expensive QOL. Just think what that extra 10% in your pay year after year will get you in FL or TX or WA. Boat, retirement, college tuition, etc. There is a high cost for the great weather in CA. What also is strange is despite the high cost, it's still uber crowded, so really not that exclusive. You get the sense that a select few are paying all the bills for the masses in CA.
If you don't mind the heat Las Vegas is an easy commute to SLC or LAX, 5 hours to LA on a weekend if you have friends/relatives there, low property taxes, no income taxes, and housing costs are still pretty low despite a recovery recently that brought houses back up 30-40%. Even with a recovery you're still only looking at $100-125/square foot of house. Not the best schooling if you have kids.