I love how I can stop threads by injecting reality.
I'd vote for Cali too, given a truck-load of provisions, like a) you have a college degree, b) you have some sort of skills that other people are willing to pay you for c) you're in California because you want to be in California above all else. You can make more money in other places. You can buy houses cheaper almost anywhere else. Only Texas has a state government more dysfunctional (not that we care much), so if you're into all that 'state money' stuff, it's hard to find. I'm sure there are other places with the kind of Mediterranean climate that I love. (The Mediterranean just as one example.) And, it's not for everyone. It's a pretty adult state.