It’s Official…I’ve Left California…and this is Why

Hello everyone. It’s been a while since I’ve published a blog post and there’s been a really good reason for that. My family and I have officially moved. I’ve been working remotely for over 1.5 years since March 2020 and have been waiting to leave. The only thing stopping me was my husband getting a job outside of the state.

One month ago, it finally happened! We aren’t from California so we had nothing keeping us tied to the state. Most people I know that stay usually have family, a strong support network, or say that they ‘love the weather’. I’ve heard that last reason more times than I can count. However, no matter how nice the weather may be in the San Francisco Bay Area, it’s not enough to make us stay any longer than we needed to.

You may be wondering why we moved in the first place. Well, the answer is because of our careers. But now, it’s no longer required to be location dependent so we jumped at the opportunity to move to an area that is much more family and paycheck friendly. Below you can find the reasons why we left the golden state.

We Got Tired of the High State Tax Rate

People that move to the SF Bay Area are often lured in with high paychecks and lots of perks from tech companies. However, what most people might not know is that California has the highest state tax rates in the US! Yikes! Every single paycheck that we got eaten away by taxes. I’m not against paying taxes, but the taxes are so high (up to 13%) that it makes me wonder where the heck it was all going to. That’s one thing that I definitely won’t miss. I love being able to essentially get a ‘raise’ by moving to a state with no state taxes. More money in my pockets that can go towards investing my way towards early retirement.

We Got Tired of Outrageous Real Estate Prices

This one is no secret. California is known as having some of the most outrageous home prices in the US along with the New York City area. It’s no joke. A 3 bedroom 2 bath home from the 1950’s that hasn’t been updated since 1950 can easily run you at least $875,000 +.

Just let that sit for a second…

Houses were so expensive that my husband and I didn’t even bother to torture ourselves by looking at homes. We had friends that did and their experience just justified how crazy the housing market is in the SF Bay Area. We knew that we didn’t want to be house poor and stay well under $500k for our home which wouldn’t be possible in California.

Now, we have enough money for a down payment for a home in the state that we moved back to and we can confidently buy with spending less than 25% of our net income on housing. 🙂

We Got Tired of the Culture of the SF Bay Area

This is very specific but the SF Bay Area is very transient with young people that work in tech. People are constantly moving around and don’t really have roots. The state that we moved to was known for its hospitality, warm smiles, and people would say hi to you even if they didn’t know you.

California was exactly the opposite. When we first moved there, I would instinctually smile and say hello to people and be met with confused expressions or a stone cold face. People would easily let a door slam on my face in the grocery store without a second thought. I met some great people through my tennis classes and my prior company, but on a daily basis I never really felt welcome in California. I just felt like I was temporary living there and it never felt like it could be my home.

In conclusion…

Yes, we moved and left California. It was our plan for a long time and it’s finally come into fruition. A lot of people are planning on moving to a new state or know someone that has. If so, what made you move to a new city/state? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.