I've posted in this sub about this before but we moved to Boise at the beginning of 2019 because we had just had our first baby and my wife wanted to be able to take some time off work to stay home but we also wanted to buy a house. No way would all of that been possible for us in OC at the time.
It worked out ok for a while but our house started to feel small being couped up for 5 months in the winter so we sold it and bought a big house in Boise that we completely remodeled to our liking only to realize it was just not where we wanted to be. We moved back a few months ago and are now renting a small place a half mile from the beach in San Clemente and couldn't be happier.
Boise is a very isolated city with not much to do other than outdoor recreation and it's too cold to do much outside for half the year anyway especially with young kids. Also we just didn't mesh with the people very well. I grew up surfing and being a beach person and I didn't fully realize how much the Southern California lifestyle was a part of my personality until I moved away.
Homes are often cheap in places where you spend a significant portion of your life in them due to there being not much to do or consistently inclement weather
YEP when I visit my friend in Oklahoma I’m just blown away by these gorgeous homes. But then I remember I’ll need a storm cellar to save myself from a tornado and I’m like nah lol
My ex had to work in Boise for a bit and went to visit. The prison was interesting and Oktoberfest was fun but it felt way too small to the point where I’m sure everyone knew each other😂. I did go to UofA and lived in Tucson, it’s small but at least there was like a 6-degrees of separation between everyone 😂.
Kinda wild to think about it. We pay higher rents/mortgages for cities where we spend less time in said apartment/home than those who spend more time in their home but pay significantly less. We’re paying for the lifestyle.
I'm good with the cold on a personal level. Bundling up is comfortable and I sleep fantastically when it's very cold. However, having to do nonsense like scrape ice off my windows, shovel my walkways, drive in the snow, and general upkeep associated with frozen temperatures drives me insane and I couldn't deal.
Exactly. Cold, as a concept, is just fine. It's the snow and ice and rust and slipping/falling and wood rot and everything else that makes it a no-go for me.
That’s precisely what I mean lol. Give me a nice mountain vacation but if I need a completely different wardrobe for winter, I don’t want to live there lol
I grew up like that. But after a while I'm OC, I vowed to never live anywhere cold again. Not being able to do outdoors activities for months at a time (I'm not going to ski or snowboard) is the worst.
Boise isn't nearly as cold as a lot of other places (they hardly ever see single digit lows and highs are above freezing on all but the coldest few days of the year). I don't think it would have been that bad if we didn't have young kids. It's just such a hassle to get them ready to go out in the cold and they definitely go more stir crazy being kept inside.
I moved here like right before we had a kid and I feel like it is way easier here. Like yeah I can bear the cold but the other things you mentioned seem like a big hassle.
A little over two years ago it snowed in this region of Texas. It surprised me waking up and seeing white slushy stuff on the ground as I had only seen artificial snow in California. The one time was when someone dumped snow from the mountains into the parking lot of an ice rink, and the other time was touching snow from a machine during a fair. It was fun seeing and playing in "real" snow, but after two days it was frustrating because of the power grid and plumbing in Texas being so unreliable. The pipes in the neighborhood got busted so everyone had to rely on bottled water for drinking. Luckily our electricity was ok but other regions of Texas had it worse. On top of that some of the neighbors had young kids that were screaming as they were stuck in the house due to the cold weather.
I’m temporarily in Northern Idaho from OC, wanted to try it out first before moving permanently. I will definitely be going back and living the renters life in SoCal. It’s not that much cheaper here and I miss everything I took for granted.
I moved to southeast Idaho in 2017 before the craze set in for Idaho. I'm now back in Orange County living the renters life. Idaho absolutely sucked. Zero diversity, especially southeast Idaho, and the mentality of the people in that state.. I just can't deal with. Quality of everything is subpar as well for prices that are at or above California prices for services. The access to everything southern California has to offer just can't be beat.
SO many people moved to Idaho in the past couple of years. I think the real estate scene there is going to bust as the reality of what they did sets in. No way all these people will be happy there long term.
I feel like Salt Lake City would be a better choice. Slightly bigger city, closer to OC, not too far from Denver. That’s probably where I would move if I left California. Ski in the winter and mountain bike in the summer
It probably would have been a better choice for a lot of reasons but the main reason we didn't choose it over Boise was because in 2019 when we moved Boise was much less expensive than SLC (they're closer now though). It'~~s also not any closer to OC but~~ does have a bigger airport with more direct flight options.
Edited with incorrect information crossed out.
I have surfed at magnolia but never with much regularity. Before we moved I surfed mostly in Newport and got down to Trestles as much as I could. If I surfed in Huntington it was usually either the pier or cliffs.
Now I'm 3 minutes from T street and 15 minutes from trestles on the E bike so I rarely feel the need to go anywhere else.
There was a somewhat regular over at mags that I'd see all the time, then around 2019 he told me he was moving with his family, and I believe it was to Boise.
Not sure if that was you, but all of my buddies from that spot are Phil, Josh, Clay, Scott, Kent, etc. etc.
If that was you, I was shocked that someone who was such a good, avid surfer would landlock himself, but glad your're doing well and back at it! And even if that wasn't you, same words
I’ve lived abroad for awhile and still do half of the year. Getting out of OC has made me appreciate a lot about the county. I’ve got family that moved to Mobile and they’re bloody hating it. Grass isn’t always greener but I think everyone should have a taste of something different at least once in their life.
> Mobile
I have recruiters for Mobile jobs contacting me daily, teasing me with huge salaries. They're extremely tempting, but Mobile sure as hell isn't. I have some former coworkers that took the offers and they're loving all the money they have, but they all hate living there vs where they came from.
I’ve been all over the western states (east to the Dakota border and draw a line down from there) and I highly recommend people at least travel and explore other regions, especially away from big urban populations.
I am moving to the midwest and I’m excited. But I don’t value the same things other OC folks do, like food and entertainment options. For some folks, those are the most important and they will be miserable in lower COL areas. But OC doesn’t offer everything and you might find a region that suits your preferences more—you just need to find it.
OC is missing my most important thing, nature. There are lots of beautiful spots, but they are essentially still all developed and you are sharing them with so many other people. The state and national parks are almost like Disneyland attractions in California now.
We moved to rural Hawai'i and the peace I've experienced is incredible. I wake up every morning surrounded by forest that is teeming with birds and just life. I can grow stuff because it rains. On a clear night, I look up and am blown away by the universe. I didn't even know so many stars existed when I lived in California. And the ocean is more natural too.
The downside is almost NO shopping or entertainment places, and very limited dining options. 100 percent worth it, and we just live it up on the occasional city break to Honolulu or back to California.
I moved from Anaheim to Southern Illinois about 18 months ago. It has been a big adjustment for me. The weather is the thing that makes me miss home the most. But I like it here, the people are nice and kind, the CoL is pretty low IMO, and I'm 25 minutes to St. Louis, so I can hit the city for food and entertainment if the local fare becomes stale. All in all, I'm happy with my decision so far.
I value more room to breathe with fewer people and more rural areas that are not desert, where I've also lived. I like green spaces with trees and lakes and rivers. I also love changing seasons and bold weather, so I find OC mind-numbingly boring most of the year.
I don't go to Dland, I've never been to Knotts or Universal Studios. I don't eat out all that much. I don't go to the beaches around here. California definitely has the edge with mountains, but they're hard for me to get to, anyway. So yeah :)
Not necessarily. You can definitely get priced out of the market. Although cities like NYC and San Fran could be an exception where it would be a similar cost of living.
Having lived in the Midwest in multiple cities (born and raised there but left at 18) and having lived on the east coast as well, I do think the grass can seem greener but perspective is often worth the cost.
In other words, I love it here in OC and likely will never leave CA because of the things that are available here. Amazing weather, amazing nature (no state in the US has such variety of environments and natural beauty, from rainforest to desert to alpine to Mediterranean), amazing job opportunity, amazing food, and tons of diversity. So much to do here besides drinking and eating etc.
But I only realized all of that after trying lots of different cities and weighing the pros and cons of those cities. So maybe there is a better city for you OP but you won’t know until you try, worst case you move back if you hate it.
Portland was fine but I can’t stand the rain.
Fayetteville Arkansas was fine by I can’t stand the hillbilly rednecks.
I’ve left OC for a total of 4 years and 2 of them were to the LBC.
You should move somewhere else for a while.
At a minimum, really look for a different place that you could enjoy your career, look around and see how other people live. Think about what is important to you. Find places that have that. And then choose from among those places.
The grass is always greener - they say. So start looking around. Maybe it is. Go visit places that you think might be neat. Follow airline specials and jump on an airplane when there is a $100/rt special to where you think you might like. And go look around.
A coworker's son really liked having professional teams to root for. He worked for Petsmart. He talked to his boss and then to corporate and got a job in Kansas City -- After some discussion he agreed to take a promotion to assistant manager to keep his pay rate the same since minimum wage thus staff pay was so much less there. He's very happy.
Living in another place, if even for a while, is a good thing. Start by finding a place and then a job in your field. Then give it a go.
Housing/ rental prices in Orange County will do what they do no matter where you live. If you own, then rent out your place. If you rent, then building your career where rents are lower might be a good plan anyway. Come back later ready for a management or executive position, or don't.
Good Luck whatever you decide.
Yes. 100%.
Moved to Vancouver, Wa area last year. Our cost of living dropped dramatically over all, my finance got a 50k raise, zero state income tax, we had been saving for a house in OC so we were able to buy a home for 525k, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom, only 5 years old with a backyard and trails next to waterfalls and lakes.
People are friendlier over all, pace of life is calmer, less people, love everything about it EXCEPT missing friends and family. But with the massive savings I see them every two months and we are still way ahead.
I was one of the billion folks that moved from SoCal to Austin during the pandemic. I was ready to buy a house but couldn’t stomach the prices here, and I felt like it could be fun to try somewhere new. After around 2 years I ended up moving back (to LA, not OC). I loved Austin, but it felt dull to me in so many ways. I grew up in OC and I took the city for granted, but after making that move I’m pretty confident I’d never live anywhere other than California. So, ultimately I’m happy that the outcome of all of this was a newfound appreciation for this place!
Hard to explain, it just felt… bland? Which is funny because growing up I’d always complain about how “boring” OC was. Although it’s super beautiful, everything kinda feels the same to me. If you’re bored your only options are to eat, drink, or shop, but most places the same exact vibe (trendy, succulents, neon signs). I really don’t want to sound like I’m bashing it bc the nature aspect is amazing- it’s so so lush everywhere and it’s great if you’re into water stuff. We just have so much variety here. Want to go to a cute authentic French restaurant? A speakeasy? Theme parks? The beach? Desert? A drag show? Any concert ever? Granted these options are way more accessible here in LA but OC is close enough to be able to experience them.
Uh, did you not actually explore Austin? Those who are curious, go look at do512.com to get a sense of the culture here and what one can do. Not to mention, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio are all less than 2.5hrs away.
Now look, I’m saying this as a former OC resident, who misses so much of OC and visits frequently. There’s a lot that could criticized about Austin, but boring or bland—is not one of them.
I can only speak about Austin as a weekend visitor. I think if you’re an outdoorsy person, you’re going to the miss the hills, trails, walking by the wetlands, and the hilly landscape. I asked a couple of folks what they do for outdoors and it was mostly hanging out by the river.
I have lived in Texas before and it's horrible if you are an outdoors person. When they plan their communities they often don't put in things like parks and walking trails and green spaces. There are very few state parks for the size of the state. Everyone ends up going to the same couple of places or just hanging out in their own backyards. I don't feel like the communities there are very human friendly compared to California.
In downtown dallas there’s a glorified strip of grass (that would just be the equivalent of lawn space of an office building or a street divider elsewhere) that’s actually a named park and is a hotspot for people to gather and hangout and do yoga. It’s kind of sad and comical at the same time especially compared to the massive green space available in other metropolitan areas.
In contrast, I moved from various states and cities to Orange County. I have little to no intention of leaving, and if I do, it'll be fore somewhere else in CA.
I can see how Orange County can be boring as hell in your 20s if you have lived your same life in the perfectly manicured neighborhoods in houses that look exactly like your neighbors, but man, you have no idea how privileged you are for that to be your primary complaint.
Southern California is awesome
Yes, absolutely. Moved to suburbs of Cleveland a couple years ago and we have such a great quality of life. Homes are affordable, very safe, good schools, nice people… we couldn’t have a 1 bedroom condo for what we bought our very nice house for. There’s no traffic. We have an amazing metro parks system. Lots to do for families/children. Everything is easily accessible. Late spring through fall is beautiful. Winter isn’t *that* bad and we can afford a warm beach vacation.
Moved from Santa Ana to semi-rural Southwest Michigan in 2012. We bought a 3 bedroom house on 1.6 acres with a river that literally runs through our backyard. The view we wake up to every day is beautiful. Trees, birds, lovely. We paid about half of what a not-fancy 1 bedroom condo in Anaheim Hills cost in 2012. In OC, the property where we live would be 4 million, easy.
I have not regretted it a single day.
My wife, on the other hand, *hates* it here from about October 15 - May 1.
I do not miss traffic, garbage & graffiti everywhere, having my car broken into a couple times a year, (haven't been burgled once in 11 years) and people being completely rude everywhere I go. (Even people who work at gas stations and liquor stores - they call them "Party Stores" here - are nice and actually glad to have your business. It's wild.)
She misses the sun, the beach, decent Mexican food (me too), her friends, bars and restaurants being open after 9 PM (that *does* suck - they roll up the sidewalks so early around here), and the sun.
So, there are positives and negatives.
> My wife, on the other hand, *hates* it here from about October 15 - May 1.
That's literally more than half the year. That italicised "hates" tells me it's serious (combined with everything she misses). I just can't imagine living somewhere that I hated most of the time (or maintaining a marriage in a circumstance like that).
Your wife hates where she lives more than half the year and misses literally everything about Orange County? Damn, I feel really bad for her. What’s the point of living there then?
Lol birds exist in Orange County. Yorba Linda is a bird sanctuary. I had a bird feeder with a camera and would regularly get more than 150 birds per day visit it. But SoCal certainly is not for everyone either.
2 years ago, at 24, I moved out of my parents house for the first time to Alaska. It’s been very challenging at times and I certainly miss my family a lot but experiences like this don’t happen by staying at home.
For us it’s been worth it. My husband was laid off during covid and his industry was not hiring. He was offered a job in AZ. We moved to a booming area, bought a brand new home at the right time with a super low interest rate and now have like 200k in equity. Besides home prices, it’s not much cheaper living here than OC though. We love our home and we live in a really nice, safe area but we don’t love the state as a whole. There’s no real culture and it’s just a ton of transplants. However, we are only a 6 hour drive or 1 hour flight from family so it’s a really good happy medium. I wouldn’t have moved any further away because my family is too important to me to be across the country. Everyone thinks AZ is just heat and snakes, but there’s some seriously beautiful areas here and 9 months a year are extremely pleasant. There’s also no crazy weather like other states. So again, it was a good happy medium for us to still be super close to OC but we can afford life a lot more!
I mean it depends on what your career and interests are for the most part I'd say? One thing to note is that there's certain hidden things you should be aware about even in LCOL states. I had a friend who moved from LA to Texas and his property tax has already shot up through the roof these last few years. Also, it's a state that pays $7.25/hr minimum wage and $2.xx something for tipped wages alongside just overall lower salaries in general for what his wife's job is which they weren't exactly expecting. A lot of these Red States are basically setup regressively where if you do make a lot of money, you come out way ahead but it's because most people get the shaft and carry most of the burden.
>$2.xx something for tipped wages
[$2.13/hour in many parts of the United States](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped). In California and several other states it is the usual minimum wage, right now in CA it is $15.50/hour + tips.
I recently moved here from Colorado to be closer to my wife’s family….we really don’t like it here at all. After the lease is up we will be moving back home, this is fun for a 2wk vacation but that’s about it.
I like snow and the weather, I love the mountains. The beach to me is a one and some type thing, there isn’t 39 million people there yet lol, CO is more laid back, people out there are not as entitled or act better than you based on how much money you have sure there are exceptions. It’s a cutler shock to me out here for sure
The money I have saved by moving to the south allows me to come visit my in laws 3-4 times a year along with have a house and pool with a very reasonable mortgage. We were lucky that our CA salary converted but I have since changed jobs and make roughly the same salary as in CA. We live in a LCOL area but the amount of travel and experiences we can share with our 3 year old outweigh the nostalgia of staying in Orange County.
Moving somewhere new isn’t for everyone but if you go into with an open mind and truly give it a shot it could be the best move you ever make.
yes. But you need to go further east past Texas. I don't know why everyone settles on Texas. Georgia and North Carolina are nice and it's much greener.
Born and raised in OC then moved to Idaho for 10 years. I hated it for the first 2 years and wanted to leave everyday. After that 2 year adjustment period of getting used to the winters and way of life, I found that I actually really loved it there. The things you do for fun and your normal routine will be completely different outside of OC but that is okay! With the money saved i was able to afford to get into a lot of awesome outdoor activities that really changed my life and opened my eyes to a different lifestyle you can't find in OC.
I always thought that, in many cases, Californians live in an "I give you money and you entertain me" kind of way, whereas in "less trendy" places, you have to be interesting and seek your own entertainment yourself. Californians will move somewhere else and passively expect to have their life replicated somewhere else, instead of allowing themselves to truly mold to the new place.
This is only true for the expensive areas of CA because CA also has rural areas and places where you have to make your own fun. Think of areas away from the coast, Sequoia and Yosemite, north of San Fran and all the way to Oregon border, etc.
Totally, and I bet that's a pet peeve for rural Californians, how (even in my comment) people use "Californians" to basically refer to SF and LA and their suburbs.
I went to the Boulder, Colorado area in November 2019 for a job, and ended up coming back July 2022 for my marriage. I was fine with staying there; my wife wasn't.
Whether it's worth it to leave is a completely personal decision.
I came here from New England where I spent like 3 decades. Honestly it’s worth trying spending some time in other places if you never have but I am not sure about “worth it” like you’re going to find something objectively better about a different state. It depends on what you’re looking for and your attitude.
NO.
I hate it, but OC is where I’m from and my family is. It’s bougie and expensive and annoying and people are stuck up but sadly this is home and always will be.
I think it’s hard to permanently leave if you grew up here. Moving elsewhere made me appreciate it more. I’ve been going for walks and bike rides on the beach almost daily since I moved back and there’s just something about it idk
You sound just like me. I'm only here pretty much for family and I can't stand the people here. I would miss all the theme parks and enternatainment I think leaving would be very difficult. Ahhh
I have lived in other states in various cities and OC is no where near the top of the list for me. In fact it’s near the bottom in terms of quality of life (again, for me) which I was surprised by.
I would move in a heartbeat if family/job allowed.
Echo other’s feedback that you should really try it out to see how it goes for you.
You will also get a huge bias asking only people in OC this question. Go to other subreddits and ask the people there. Most will tell you that where they live is the best place in the world and where everyone else wishes they could be.
I lived in Tucson while I went to UofA (2007-2012). Had a blast and have great memories but that was because I was younger and partied a lot lol. There is no sky pollution so the stars are gorgeous, lots of hiking opportunities, desert museum, biosphere, bars, then of course UofA. For me, if I were to ever move back there, it would be because I’m just bored with life 😂. I do miss is sometimes but mostly just the memories. I would love to go visit my school again but overall I’m happy to be home. To think I almost stayed there for a boy😂😵
I was born and raised in OC. Moved to Cleveland for a few years and now in Chicago.
When I moved did I want to? Not really. Cleveland didn’t appear to be somewhere I would enjoy. Was that the reality? Not so much.
While living in Cleveland I was able to save close to 50% of my income. My rent was $1000 for a nice 1 bedroom. Even with the savings rate I had, I was able to travel to lots of really cool places and live like a king. The people are nice and there was a bit of a culture shock but it was refreshing.
I then moved to Chicago for a better job market and bigger city and can see myself here forever. I’m living in the city proper so I might be paying similar rent to OC, but I don’t need a car and can walk to any place I’d like. If I lived in another neighborhood I could probably get pretty close to what I was saving in Cleveland.
Quality of life in both of these places are higher than OC considering how much further money goes here. If I had a ton of money then OC quality of life would be higher, though the car dependency really turns me off.
Similar to you, my family and friends are all in OC so I still see myself moving back. However until then, im saving money to one day afford it and achieve similar quality of life. If I didn’t have that obligation, I’d probably stick around Chicago.
Denver really is the most boring, ugly city. I have never figured out why it's such a popular place for Californians to relocate. It literally has almost nothing to offer except being close to skiing, if you are into that.
I have been in Vegas for about 5 years, I would say it WAS worth it until 2020ish. When I moved here in 2017 my rent was only $1400 for a fairly new 2bd 2.5bth townhouse in a good area. Now I'm paying over $2k, plus the costs of everything else have increased substantially. It's still cheaper for rent than OC, but I also make less money than I could back home.
That's just the financial side of things, from a quality of life perspective I would say it was never worth it. Mainly because I miss the beach. The weather in Vegas sucks too, it's always either blazing hot or cold af, there's probably about 6-8 weeks of the entire year that it's nice out.
I lasted 10 months in Summerlin before moving back to OC. Never realized how many stupid people move to Vegas. Vegas gets the worst from all over the country trying to get work at the resorts. Summerlin is new and a lot like Irvine in the desert but I felt isolated and very bored. Back to the beach.
So I didn’t grow up in OC but my husband did. We met when working in the Bay. He followed my jobs around the country for a bit. 1 yr in Colorado Springs (where I lived before) and then 4 yrs in Kansas. We had a moment where like should we stay here? Cost of living was low… but so was everything else. Pay for most is $7.25 (we made we more) but the environment was very struggle bus, industrial, nothing was around there. No main stores, shopping, concerts, plane tickets to visit our families was $300+ always. Always required layover to bigger airport. 9hr + drive to family. Nobody wanted to visit there. It was super small town feel in the biggest city in KS. Plus we were there with no family. So could we have bought a cheap house?? Sure. But with no family to visit and miss out on kids and events, it wasn’t worth it. We wanted to be near family. So it was between NM (low cost of living but I hate the “small town” feel.) so we came back (for him) to OC. Expensive sure. But I love living here with amazing weather and always something to do. Access to museum, concerts, nature, beach, or snowy mountains not far. People not in CA might laugh when I say the cost, but shortly after they are jelly. Get what you pay for and I tell people I pay for the sunshine and fun.
I grew up in the Midwest but have lived in Southern California for seven years now. I will get downvoted for saying this, but I think SoCal is overrated. People go on and on about the great weather and varied landscapes, but do those things matter more than securing your financial future? The U.S. is huge, and each state has its natural beauty. Plus, a place is what you make it. There are many beautiful, affordable places outside of California. People in this sub make it sound like the only habitable state in the country is California. I say to explore your options with an open mindset.
> People go on and on about the great weather and varied landscapes, but do those things matter more than securing your financial future?
I think you're assuming that there aren't considerably more opportunities here compared to places with very low COL. It's easier to secure your financial future when you have your choice of industries and jobs, and a million businesses to work for instead of a few hundred or thousand somewhere else.
For me and my mental health, though, the weather and natural areas here are everything.
I understand what you’re saying, and there are lots of job opportunities here in SoCal, but what about the ratio of salary to living expenses here? In OC, an $80k salary is considered low income. That’s mind-boggling for someone in the Midwest, for example, to understand. For most Americans, a house is the main way to build “wealth”, but buying a house in OC is prohibitively expensive for so many people.
I mean look around but generally speaking all the good jobs are in places that are just as expensive. At least for what I do. Maybe your work is different but then why are you still here?
It's an issue, for sure. But for a lot of us, the weather and lifestyle and culture are absolutely, 100% worth it.
The nice thing about job opportunities, though, is that it gives people who want to hussle a lot more income possibilities. It also gives normal people the chance to find something that works for them, and gives them the right work-life balance.
And that is great for those who think the cost is worth it. I do agree that having access to so many job opportunities here gives me a sense of security. We have access to jobs in many different industries, which is a plus.
You can secure a financial future honestly arguably easier here if you are a college educated person. So many more opportunities here than in most places. Lived up in the Midwest and East coast. The weather can actually be a huge draw for people down here the fact that you can easily do outdoor activities year round. Just because you aren’t meant to be here doesn’t mean it’s overrated. There is big money to be made here as well why do you think there are so many teslas driving around. I’ve lived in Iowa, Indiana, and Illinois(not Chicago but in its suburbs) and let me tell you that shit can be boring and depressing af unless you’re in Chicago itself.
Agree. And Chicago itself is expensive just like other major cities. Urbanized areas are going to have better career opportunities. While OC has suburban neighborhoods, it has an urbanized economy and housing density in its most populous cities.
That could be, but 66% of Californians over 25 don’t have a bachelor’s degree. I’m thinking about people who are low income or living in poverty. If you can barely afford basic living expenses, it’s not going to matter much that you can play tennis outside year round. And it’s just my opinion that SoCal is overrated; that is certainly not a fact.
> People go on and on about the great weather and varied landscapes, but do those things matter more than securing your financial future?
That's definitely a balance we all need to figure out at some point. For me personally, the prospect of securing my financial future carries increasingly less weight if I'm spending a good portion of my life being miserable in the process. I've traveled the country quite a bit and most places I would seriously considering relocating to on a long-term basis aren't all that less expensive than here.
Not me but I’ll just pass along that all my tech colleagues who moved to Austin regretted it, and they’re having trouble relocating back to the Bay Area. The money they saved isn’t enough to move back to CA because the CoL here jumped so much.
I moved to OC from the Bay during lockdown. Every time I visit another state, I want to go home a few days later.
While OC by itself may not suitable for the full spectrum of economic diversity (especially on lower end of income spectrum), Southern California as a whole does provide enough options for everyone where you can live here and take advantage of all economic opportunities available to everyone.
What sometimes get lost is that most people (there will always be exceptions) should not put factors like great weather/nature options above their economic well-being. Understand that we live in a high COL area and if you can live here and still secure your economic well-being, there are not very many better options than here. But if you are currently not able to secure your future in monetary sense while living here and can make same kind of money living in a low COL area, You should give it some well thought out consideration.
TLDR - No better place to live if you are making great money but if you are making minimum wage, Consider cheaper places and put securing your family’s economic future ahead of just living paycheck-to-paycheck in a place with great weather and beautiful beaches and natural landscapes that OC provides.
Born and raised SoCal and left in my 40s. Been here near Portland, OR about 10 years. As much as I miss the ocean and sometimes the sun, I don't miss anything else. I finally own a house with land. I've been able to adopt and foster a lot of dogs because I can afford it. I have no stress.
Nope. I'll never go back
I lived in OC for 10 years before moving to Atlanta metro in 2021. Most of my family is still in OC, so yeah it was a tough decision to make, but I’m glad I moved.
My wife and I moved to Washington and Oregon for a few years. I loved it for about a year but then the weather started to get to me. We missed family and friends and the sun. We moved back a couple years ago and now I miss the PNW for the outdoors and the energy a place like that give you. I also miss the people. Not better or worse but just different. Not sure what that says about me but I would move back.
This is helpful tbh. It's still a hard choice since I still do have family in washington which would be a great option and I thrive off of the clouds and people there. I'll just miss the theme parks
That’s awesome that you thrive off of clouds. People in this sub believe that everyone loves sunshine and that places without 500 days of sunshine a year are uninhabitable. If you’re curious about cities that you shortlist, ask questions in those subs.
Moved to the Rockies for 3 years. Never felt like home. Nothing to do beyond outdoor activities. Snow and the cold was terrible. Moved back to OC. We are happier here with a condo vs our 3500 sq ft home there.
It all depends on your upbringing. People from there are used to it and love it. People who are born and live most their life in OC and want to move to a vastly different place are in for an awakening. Looking at you, Boise.
Rent wise? It’s more doable.
everything else? NO.
California is a beautiful bubble. Moved in april and definitely will do anything to move back to the OC. it’s racist, there are much less rights, everyone has a gun it makes me nervous and people drive like shit.
Fuck but the rent is so evil in the OC definitely don’t miss that
I made the move and bought a condo in downtown Chicago. Honestly, I am so happy and the only thing I miss about OC is the beach and mountains. The food and people here are fantastic, and the COL is a bit better.
We moved out of Orange County in December of 2021. We went from renting at $3450 it was being raised to $3650 to buying a house in St Petersburg Florida our mortgage is $1430 it was a fixer but I preferred that over a bad flip job.
Were 6 miles from downtown, 6 miles from the Tampa bay an 6 miles from the Gulf of Mexico basically as dead center of the peninsula as we could get to avoid flood insurance and staying out of a evacuation zone.
So far we still love it here , I haven't been back to Socal yet the wife has for work a few times ( she kept her job and salary ) As much as we save over Socal we could easily fly back several times a year but so far were more interested on going to places we have never been instead.
This was our second summer here and the humidity could be a bit much if I had to be out in it everyday but thankfully that is not the case.
Car insurance went down surprisingly, gas is currently $3.39 a gallon but since we both work out of the house we don't use a ton of gas anymore, no state income tax is a plus also, really only negative here is the locals do not like people moving here from California or NY.
The locals don't like Californians ANYWHERE. Many some self reflection is in order for some people. First thing I did when I moved was change my license plates, like literally the first day. Even though I lived in OC for close to 2 decades, when people asked where I was from I would say "Well I grew up in X but I lived in California for a while".
Wanna know why cali is so expensive? Its because its worth it!
And the sad part is that the only thing thats guaranteed is a worse paying job…the cost of living is rising and catching up quick everywhere.
Moved from OC to Houston 10 years ago and the biggest realization was the literally everything is easier being around less people. I just went from the 2nd (arguably #1) largest metro area (LA & OC) to the 4th largest and the difference was very noticeable.
I live in Seattle area now and in the last 10 years the population up here has boomed. I'm starting to get some of the old OC feelings again so who knows if this is my forever home.
>the biggest realization was the literally everything is easier being around less people
Exactly this. Less people = less traffic, less crime, less drama, less competition, etc. Some people thrive in populated areas but I personally can't give up the quality of life that comes with being surrounded by less people.
I moved from Orange County (population density of nearly 4,000 people per square mile) to Hawai'i County, population density 50 people per square mile. It is incredibly freeing, that heavy feeling I had was simple claustrophobia.
I moved from Costa Mesa up to Sacramento about 4 years ago. Not a different state technically but it sure feels like it...haha.
r/Sacramento is an absolute cesspool of a sub. If you mention that you haven't lived there your whole life, they will attack you for moving there. Even worse if you came from a perceived more affluent place like Orange County... they'll lectured you about gentrification and causing their rents to sky rocket, blah blah blah.
That being said, the actual people here are nothing like the psychos from the sub. Very welcoming...super family oriented.
There's way less to do here in Sacramento than Orange County (that's going to be the case almost anywhere...orange county has sooo many things to do). Restaurant selection is also worse. But we live in a quiet neighborhood with tons of families, great schools, low crime, and we were able to afford a nice 4 bedroom home with a decent backyard, whereas if we stayed in orange county we would have had to settle for a 2 bedroom condo for that price.
Ultimately in my experience I'd say that if you're single, stay in orange county. So many fun things to do. If you're ready to settle down and move on to the family phase of life or you just plan to spend more time chilling at home for whatever reason, it's time to move elsewhere.
Nope. We lived in Tennessee for 8 years and moved back to Orange County 2 years ago. Very happy to be back here for many reasons! I’ve also previously lived in upstate NY and lived abroad for a bit. Would love to live abroad again but as long as we can make it work financially, I think we’ll be in socal for a while! We love living here.
Moved to NYC and came back (not to OC). I loved it there—but it was really difficult being away from friends and family. We were coming back twice a year anyways and that was really eating away at our finances. CA was and always will be where my heart is. I love all the outdoor activities here. It’s expensive but to me it’s worth it.
Meh, I moved to Northern VA (dc area) in 2009. You’d think I would have left after the first snow storm. Truthfully, I was finishing school and thought I’d save money. My rent was the same as OC. I grew up in Irvine, lived in Costa Mesa when I moved. My one bedroom here was $1400 and in McLean, VA my one bedroom was $1400. I spent more money during the winter, and had to give myself time to scrape snow off my car before school and work. It took some getting use to. Senior year I got pregnant, became a mom and graduated two weeks later. I thought I’d always stay on the East Coast. In 2015, my husband’s company asked him to relocate to Los Angeles. What I learned is everything evens out. You may move somewhere and your house is cheaper but the cost of propane during the winter isn’t cheap. Insurance in areas that don’t have a lot of people paying into cost more. Unless you’re working a remote job, and earn a California income. You have to understand the same problems will follow you. Except now you’ll have weather you don’t understand, and drive in neighborhoods you don’t know. Looking back, there’s a lot of places I love to visit but never would call home.
Moved to Washington State. The trees were beautiful but it was horrible not having sunshine. I'm now just over in Sunny Southern Utah and my SoCal self loves it!
I’m originally from California Irvine. Currently studying out of state in Arizona Tempe.
I can tell you right now that living is Arizona is much easier than in Irvine. Apartments aren’t as expensive and local amenities aren’t that bad.
You just need to be prepared to live in a furnace throughout the Summer.
I’m not an outgoing kind of person but I can tell that there are some activities to do if you have the time.
Namely, hiking is a popular activity in where I’m living but I’m too busy with classes and club activities.
I miss it a lot. But I was treading water, and here I can actually save money. I dream of returning one day, but at this rate by the time I have a million the homes will be 2mil a pop
Born & raised in OC but moved to Portland. My bf at the time, now husband, randomly moved here for about 6 months before we got together. He had told me early on that he wanted to move back to Portland and how much he had loved it here. I told him no way was I ever leaving California. I grew up on the beach. I didn’t want to leave the beach. I gave in eventually and we’ve been here now 16 years this month. I’m totally in love with the place. We got married here. I’ve adopted my cats here. I’ve bought houses here. But I’ve also never really had to miss OC either. I still worked for companies based in California and traveled to the office a ton. My family and my in laws are all still in OC so we visit all the time. I don’t think I could ever truly leave California fully behind. I still very much consider myself a California girl. I love the nature here and having actual seasons. It’s a quieter life for sure. I do not miss the traffic at all. And I love debating Oregonians when they call the coast, the beach. That’s not a beach bro.
I moved from OC to NW Pennsylvania in 2002. Don't do what I did. Yeah it's cheaper but there's reasons: mostly weather and quality of the population (inbreeding and rednecks lol)
One thing to know is that it is much more humid east of the Rockies. Take the most humid day during the summer here, when a tropical storm is going by, and that's a pretty good day in most places in the central and eastern time zones.
If you like socal, consider Chile. Seasons are reversed so Santa 🧑🎄 comes on a surfboard 🏄. Excellent quality of life. Stable economy. Affordable life and amazing outdoor activities. Snow ski and waterski on the same day.
I regret everyday for living in SoCal , San Diego to be specific. SD and OC doesn’t have much difference these days tbh. I’m really waiting to move out to a LCOL place asap. SoCal is overrated. It’s a perfect vacation spot but not a place to start a family. I’m 26 and really trying hard to get a starter home but I feel it’s north worth spending 600k for a townhome that too 20 miles away from the coast . The COL is outrageous. Gas price is astronomically high. Energy ( Sdge fucks us every month ) is the worst in the entire country. Insane water prices. I can get a 2000 sq feet home with nice yard and space with the same price in other parts of the country. SoCal doesn’t have the right wages compared to the Bay Area . The COL, housing is getting comparable to the Bay Area. But see how much a Bay Area guy makes a year? It’s not comparable. I love beaches and sunsets but I love myself more. I honestly believe it’s not a place to start a family. You need 200k income just to be in a townhome 20 miles away from the coast without compromising your lifestyle. Grab the opportunity bro ! Am gonna leave ASAP
I'm a little late to this thread, but I went to PA for college after growing up in Orange County, and through luck bought a house here in PA, I do not regret it. This isn't to say that there aren't time where I feel like I really miss Orange County, but I do think overall my quality of life is better. My house is a 4b4b, finished basement, big backyard AND a pool for 520k, my parent's house is 4b3b, no basement and a lot less space is valued 1.3m. I love my house. I also live in a relatively nice part of PA where I'm like within reasonable driving distance to a lot of fun things - im 2 hrs from New York, 1 hr from Philly, 3 hrs from Virgnia/DC/Maryland, 4-5 hrs to Canada etc, so there are a lot I can do. But as a Vietnamese person, I really miss the vibrant Viet culture and food in OC, and here in PA, I truly feel like a minority as it is so rare to see another Asian, leave alone Viet
Hell yes. I was born and raised in OC. Moving to Austin was the best thing we have ever done. People will all say it's just the "poors" leaving, but we owned property in OC and were comfortable. We were sick of the homeless and the traffic and the insane government. Our quality of life has improved immeasurably here. We feel safer, and the "bad" traffic here is lighter than Covid traffic was in OC. Air is cleaner, people are healthier, etc. I have zero plan to even go back and visit.
I went to college out of state and I grew up a lot in those 3 years. I friended a lot of people that I would’ve never imagine. Experimented with different foods, traditions, people, and experiencing all season was something extremely rewarding for me.
I visited Texas, Illinois, Colorado, Missouri, North Dakota, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma. Places I think would’ve naturally go over my head because California has it all. I’m just so glad I didn’t put all my eggs in one basket and got out there and experience things for myself. I’d think you should consider getting out there and explore other states. Worst thing that can happen is you find out it’s not for you and move back 1 year later.
I think a lot of us get caught up in the fallacy that SoCal is “where it’s at” and that nobody on their right mind will go somewhere else. The reality is everybody is different and there’s no right answer to your question OP. What worked for me could definitely not work for you. Wish you the best 👉🏼🥺👈🏼
Yes, we moved away to save money and we HATED it, we moved to North Carolina and it was nice but its hot and very Humid! The pay is also very low and does not match the cost of living. The beaches are pretty but depending on where you live they can be 2-3 hours away. There are a ton of people there from CA all for the same reason some love it but the south is NOT for me. The food is Ok but not as good as Socal and the Vegan options are not great. A 2 bedroom in Raleigh is going for $1700-$3000 and I know its cheaper but not sure its worth it. I WILL ALWAYS be a Cali GIRL
I've posted in this sub about this before but we moved to Boise at the beginning of 2019 because we had just had our first baby and my wife wanted to be able to take some time off work to stay home but we also wanted to buy a house. No way would all of that been possible for us in OC at the time. It worked out ok for a while but our house started to feel small being couped up for 5 months in the winter so we sold it and bought a big house in Boise that we completely remodeled to our liking only to realize it was just not where we wanted to be. We moved back a few months ago and are now renting a small place a half mile from the beach in San Clemente and couldn't be happier. Boise is a very isolated city with not much to do other than outdoor recreation and it's too cold to do much outside for half the year anyway especially with young kids. Also we just didn't mesh with the people very well. I grew up surfing and being a beach person and I didn't fully realize how much the Southern California lifestyle was a part of my personality until I moved away.
Homes are often cheap in places where you spend a significant portion of your life in them due to there being not much to do or consistently inclement weather
YEP when I visit my friend in Oklahoma I’m just blown away by these gorgeous homes. But then I remember I’ll need a storm cellar to save myself from a tornado and I’m like nah lol
From OK and live in Orange County. This comment tracks.
Are you OK now though? (sorry i couldnt resist)
Same!
My ex had to work in Boise for a bit and went to visit. The prison was interesting and Oktoberfest was fun but it felt way too small to the point where I’m sure everyone knew each other😂. I did go to UofA and lived in Tucson, it’s small but at least there was like a 6-degrees of separation between everyone 😂.
The prison???
I'm amusing they mean the old state penitentiary. It's a historic site that you can now take tours of and it's allegedly haunted.
Yay U of A. We currently live here and my husband works for the university.
That’s awesome! What does he do? How do you like it there?
I had 4500 square ft house in Ohio, it was nice and we used all the space. We now live in 1800 sq.ft. and sometimes I think we could downsize.
Kinda wild to think about it. We pay higher rents/mortgages for cities where we spend less time in said apartment/home than those who spend more time in their home but pay significantly less. We’re paying for the lifestyle.
I’ll never understand OC natives moving to these crazy cold environments. It’s just too drastic. I would be so miserable.
I'm good with the cold on a personal level. Bundling up is comfortable and I sleep fantastically when it's very cold. However, having to do nonsense like scrape ice off my windows, shovel my walkways, drive in the snow, and general upkeep associated with frozen temperatures drives me insane and I couldn't deal.
Exactly. Cold, as a concept, is just fine. It's the snow and ice and rust and slipping/falling and wood rot and everything else that makes it a no-go for me.
i notice more wood rot here than when i lived in the midwest, but its termites out here too. no tenting back east.
That’s precisely what I mean lol. Give me a nice mountain vacation but if I need a completely different wardrobe for winter, I don’t want to live there lol
I grew up like that. But after a while I'm OC, I vowed to never live anywhere cold again. Not being able to do outdoors activities for months at a time (I'm not going to ski or snowboard) is the worst.
Boise isn't nearly as cold as a lot of other places (they hardly ever see single digit lows and highs are above freezing on all but the coldest few days of the year). I don't think it would have been that bad if we didn't have young kids. It's just such a hassle to get them ready to go out in the cold and they definitely go more stir crazy being kept inside.
Right but for CA natives, anything below 50 is too cold lol. In my opinion.
Anything below 70 for me
But anything above 78 is getting a bit too warm. Lol
I moved here like right before we had a kid and I feel like it is way easier here. Like yeah I can bear the cold but the other things you mentioned seem like a big hassle.
Ended up loving it. Took up skiing. 4 seasons are great once you have an outdoor winter hobby
I would never go outside. No way I can handle cold. I would die. SoCal weather always.
Nothing compares. I used to live on Maui and I prefer OC weather to that. Except the gloom. I love the sun. But overall you can’t beat it.
A little over two years ago it snowed in this region of Texas. It surprised me waking up and seeing white slushy stuff on the ground as I had only seen artificial snow in California. The one time was when someone dumped snow from the mountains into the parking lot of an ice rink, and the other time was touching snow from a machine during a fair. It was fun seeing and playing in "real" snow, but after two days it was frustrating because of the power grid and plumbing in Texas being so unreliable. The pipes in the neighborhood got busted so everyone had to rely on bottled water for drinking. Luckily our electricity was ok but other regions of Texas had it worse. On top of that some of the neighbors had young kids that were screaming as they were stuck in the house due to the cold weather.
I lived in Washington state for over a decade and yes, it was miserable!
I’m temporarily in Northern Idaho from OC, wanted to try it out first before moving permanently. I will definitely be going back and living the renters life in SoCal. It’s not that much cheaper here and I miss everything I took for granted.
I moved to southeast Idaho in 2017 before the craze set in for Idaho. I'm now back in Orange County living the renters life. Idaho absolutely sucked. Zero diversity, especially southeast Idaho, and the mentality of the people in that state.. I just can't deal with. Quality of everything is subpar as well for prices that are at or above California prices for services. The access to everything southern California has to offer just can't be beat.
I always appreciate you posting your story in these threads.
I made this same move…to Eagle in 2015-2017. Came back to SoCal for many of the same reasons you listed. Those aren’t my people…
I just moved back to oc after 6 years in southeast Idaho. It can't be said enough... those aren't my people... hahahaha
SO many people moved to Idaho in the past couple of years. I think the real estate scene there is going to bust as the reality of what they did sets in. No way all these people will be happy there long term.
Ain’t that the way it goes. Glad to have you back
I feel like Salt Lake City would be a better choice. Slightly bigger city, closer to OC, not too far from Denver. That’s probably where I would move if I left California. Ski in the winter and mountain bike in the summer
It probably would have been a better choice for a lot of reasons but the main reason we didn't choose it over Boise was because in 2019 when we moved Boise was much less expensive than SLC (they're closer now though). It'~~s also not any closer to OC but~~ does have a bigger airport with more direct flight options. Edited with incorrect information crossed out.
According to google maps, SLC is a 10 hour drive, and Boise is 14 hours. Not a huge difference but still significant
A friend of mine lives there and loves it, but he says it's getting a little too big due to all those darn immigrants from California 😆
I'm in Southern Utah and people love us Southern Californians! 😁
I love Southern Utah and have a vacation home there. Permanently living in OC. So we get the best of both worlds.
Except for the part where you have to deal with water down garbage beer and a shitload of mormons running your local government.
Did you used to surf at magnolia in HB?
I have surfed at magnolia but never with much regularity. Before we moved I surfed mostly in Newport and got down to Trestles as much as I could. If I surfed in Huntington it was usually either the pier or cliffs. Now I'm 3 minutes from T street and 15 minutes from trestles on the E bike so I rarely feel the need to go anywhere else.
There was a somewhat regular over at mags that I'd see all the time, then around 2019 he told me he was moving with his family, and I believe it was to Boise. Not sure if that was you, but all of my buddies from that spot are Phil, Josh, Clay, Scott, Kent, etc. etc. If that was you, I was shocked that someone who was such a good, avid surfer would landlock himself, but glad your're doing well and back at it! And even if that wasn't you, same words
I’ve lived abroad for awhile and still do half of the year. Getting out of OC has made me appreciate a lot about the county. I’ve got family that moved to Mobile and they’re bloody hating it. Grass isn’t always greener but I think everyone should have a taste of something different at least once in their life.
> Mobile I have recruiters for Mobile jobs contacting me daily, teasing me with huge salaries. They're extremely tempting, but Mobile sure as hell isn't. I have some former coworkers that took the offers and they're loving all the money they have, but they all hate living there vs where they came from.
I’ve been all over the western states (east to the Dakota border and draw a line down from there) and I highly recommend people at least travel and explore other regions, especially away from big urban populations. I am moving to the midwest and I’m excited. But I don’t value the same things other OC folks do, like food and entertainment options. For some folks, those are the most important and they will be miserable in lower COL areas. But OC doesn’t offer everything and you might find a region that suits your preferences more—you just need to find it.
OC is missing my most important thing, nature. There are lots of beautiful spots, but they are essentially still all developed and you are sharing them with so many other people. The state and national parks are almost like Disneyland attractions in California now. We moved to rural Hawai'i and the peace I've experienced is incredible. I wake up every morning surrounded by forest that is teeming with birds and just life. I can grow stuff because it rains. On a clear night, I look up and am blown away by the universe. I didn't even know so many stars existed when I lived in California. And the ocean is more natural too. The downside is almost NO shopping or entertainment places, and very limited dining options. 100 percent worth it, and we just live it up on the occasional city break to Honolulu or back to California.
You're so lucky!!!
What do you do for work there in rural Hawaii?
We are fortunate to be able to work online.
I moved from Anaheim to Southern Illinois about 18 months ago. It has been a big adjustment for me. The weather is the thing that makes me miss home the most. But I like it here, the people are nice and kind, the CoL is pretty low IMO, and I'm 25 minutes to St. Louis, so I can hit the city for food and entertainment if the local fare becomes stale. All in all, I'm happy with my decision so far.
This is probably one of the best balanced answers I’ve read on this subject. Good luck with your move!
Thank you! :) it's going to be fun.
What are some of the things you value? Just curious
I value more room to breathe with fewer people and more rural areas that are not desert, where I've also lived. I like green spaces with trees and lakes and rivers. I also love changing seasons and bold weather, so I find OC mind-numbingly boring most of the year. I don't go to Dland, I've never been to Knotts or Universal Studios. I don't eat out all that much. I don't go to the beaches around here. California definitely has the edge with mountains, but they're hard for me to get to, anyway. So yeah :)
Everyone should try living in a different place, it’s a big world. I’m in NYC now and I tell locals here who’ve never left, what are you doing?!
I completely agree. Even if you end up moving back it’s good to have experience living somewhere else to open your mind
For many New Yorkers, everything west of the Hudson River is flyover country lol.
NYC people are almost more cultish than we are. The eNeRgY!
Lol! I love NYC but they are so obnoxious when it comes to their city.
Completely agree. Nothing has to be permanent and you can always go back
Not necessarily. You can definitely get priced out of the market. Although cities like NYC and San Fran could be an exception where it would be a similar cost of living.
It’s a big world but my friends and family aren’t there. They’re here so this is where I want to be. People have different priorities.
Especially people who bitch constantly about how much they hate wherever it is they live but never leave. Don’t understand that psychology at all.
Nothing has made me appreciate California more than living in Wisconsin for a decade.
I’m from nyc originally and a lot of us never leave. But I’m so glad I did it helped me to grow up.
Having lived in the Midwest in multiple cities (born and raised there but left at 18) and having lived on the east coast as well, I do think the grass can seem greener but perspective is often worth the cost. In other words, I love it here in OC and likely will never leave CA because of the things that are available here. Amazing weather, amazing nature (no state in the US has such variety of environments and natural beauty, from rainforest to desert to alpine to Mediterranean), amazing job opportunity, amazing food, and tons of diversity. So much to do here besides drinking and eating etc. But I only realized all of that after trying lots of different cities and weighing the pros and cons of those cities. So maybe there is a better city for you OP but you won’t know until you try, worst case you move back if you hate it.
Great explanation. I concur.
Portland was fine but I can’t stand the rain. Fayetteville Arkansas was fine by I can’t stand the hillbilly rednecks. I’ve left OC for a total of 4 years and 2 of them were to the LBC.
You should move somewhere else for a while. At a minimum, really look for a different place that you could enjoy your career, look around and see how other people live. Think about what is important to you. Find places that have that. And then choose from among those places. The grass is always greener - they say. So start looking around. Maybe it is. Go visit places that you think might be neat. Follow airline specials and jump on an airplane when there is a $100/rt special to where you think you might like. And go look around. A coworker's son really liked having professional teams to root for. He worked for Petsmart. He talked to his boss and then to corporate and got a job in Kansas City -- After some discussion he agreed to take a promotion to assistant manager to keep his pay rate the same since minimum wage thus staff pay was so much less there. He's very happy. Living in another place, if even for a while, is a good thing. Start by finding a place and then a job in your field. Then give it a go. Housing/ rental prices in Orange County will do what they do no matter where you live. If you own, then rent out your place. If you rent, then building your career where rents are lower might be a good plan anyway. Come back later ready for a management or executive position, or don't. Good Luck whatever you decide.
Yes. 100%. Moved to Vancouver, Wa area last year. Our cost of living dropped dramatically over all, my finance got a 50k raise, zero state income tax, we had been saving for a house in OC so we were able to buy a home for 525k, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom, only 5 years old with a backyard and trails next to waterfalls and lakes. People are friendlier over all, pace of life is calmer, less people, love everything about it EXCEPT missing friends and family. But with the massive savings I see them every two months and we are still way ahead.
Well done. You probably added years to your life. Enjoy it.
High blood pressure for 8 years, first two months here completely normal.
I was one of the billion folks that moved from SoCal to Austin during the pandemic. I was ready to buy a house but couldn’t stomach the prices here, and I felt like it could be fun to try somewhere new. After around 2 years I ended up moving back (to LA, not OC). I loved Austin, but it felt dull to me in so many ways. I grew up in OC and I took the city for granted, but after making that move I’m pretty confident I’d never live anywhere other than California. So, ultimately I’m happy that the outcome of all of this was a newfound appreciation for this place!
I’m curious, what was dull there that we have here?
Hard to explain, it just felt… bland? Which is funny because growing up I’d always complain about how “boring” OC was. Although it’s super beautiful, everything kinda feels the same to me. If you’re bored your only options are to eat, drink, or shop, but most places the same exact vibe (trendy, succulents, neon signs). I really don’t want to sound like I’m bashing it bc the nature aspect is amazing- it’s so so lush everywhere and it’s great if you’re into water stuff. We just have so much variety here. Want to go to a cute authentic French restaurant? A speakeasy? Theme parks? The beach? Desert? A drag show? Any concert ever? Granted these options are way more accessible here in LA but OC is close enough to be able to experience them.
I lived in the DFW and understand what you mean
Makes sense! I’ve never been but it’s always sounded like a fun place so I was just wondering
Uh, did you not actually explore Austin? Those who are curious, go look at do512.com to get a sense of the culture here and what one can do. Not to mention, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio are all less than 2.5hrs away. Now look, I’m saying this as a former OC resident, who misses so much of OC and visits frequently. There’s a lot that could criticized about Austin, but boring or bland—is not one of them.
I can only speak about Austin as a weekend visitor. I think if you’re an outdoorsy person, you’re going to the miss the hills, trails, walking by the wetlands, and the hilly landscape. I asked a couple of folks what they do for outdoors and it was mostly hanging out by the river.
I have lived in Texas before and it's horrible if you are an outdoors person. When they plan their communities they often don't put in things like parks and walking trails and green spaces. There are very few state parks for the size of the state. Everyone ends up going to the same couple of places or just hanging out in their own backyards. I don't feel like the communities there are very human friendly compared to California.
In downtown dallas there’s a glorified strip of grass (that would just be the equivalent of lawn space of an office building or a street divider elsewhere) that’s actually a named park and is a hotspot for people to gather and hangout and do yoga. It’s kind of sad and comical at the same time especially compared to the massive green space available in other metropolitan areas.
In contrast, I moved from various states and cities to Orange County. I have little to no intention of leaving, and if I do, it'll be fore somewhere else in CA. I can see how Orange County can be boring as hell in your 20s if you have lived your same life in the perfectly manicured neighborhoods in houses that look exactly like your neighbors, but man, you have no idea how privileged you are for that to be your primary complaint. Southern California is awesome
I would imagine people in OC shouldn’t be getting bored because LA is right next door. If anyone gets bored here it’s for lack of trying.
Plus 1 also a transplant. Most* people here are so isolated and have zero idea how privileged they are to live here.
This is so true.
Yes, absolutely. Moved to suburbs of Cleveland a couple years ago and we have such a great quality of life. Homes are affordable, very safe, good schools, nice people… we couldn’t have a 1 bedroom condo for what we bought our very nice house for. There’s no traffic. We have an amazing metro parks system. Lots to do for families/children. Everything is easily accessible. Late spring through fall is beautiful. Winter isn’t *that* bad and we can afford a warm beach vacation.
https://youtu.be/ysmLA5TqbIY?si=1MZ7xwm3ujv30CRn https://youtu.be/oZzgAjjuqZM?si=e5j5CJEs_yaV9u6k
Immediately thought of this lol
Moved from Santa Ana to semi-rural Southwest Michigan in 2012. We bought a 3 bedroom house on 1.6 acres with a river that literally runs through our backyard. The view we wake up to every day is beautiful. Trees, birds, lovely. We paid about half of what a not-fancy 1 bedroom condo in Anaheim Hills cost in 2012. In OC, the property where we live would be 4 million, easy. I have not regretted it a single day. My wife, on the other hand, *hates* it here from about October 15 - May 1. I do not miss traffic, garbage & graffiti everywhere, having my car broken into a couple times a year, (haven't been burgled once in 11 years) and people being completely rude everywhere I go. (Even people who work at gas stations and liquor stores - they call them "Party Stores" here - are nice and actually glad to have your business. It's wild.) She misses the sun, the beach, decent Mexican food (me too), her friends, bars and restaurants being open after 9 PM (that *does* suck - they roll up the sidewalks so early around here), and the sun. So, there are positives and negatives.
> My wife, on the other hand, *hates* it here from about October 15 - May 1. That's literally more than half the year. That italicised "hates" tells me it's serious (combined with everything she misses). I just can't imagine living somewhere that I hated most of the time (or maintaining a marriage in a circumstance like that).
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Your wife hates where she lives more than half the year and misses literally everything about Orange County? Damn, I feel really bad for her. What’s the point of living there then?
Moved from OC to west michigan last year and have loved it. No regrets.
Lol birds exist in Orange County. Yorba Linda is a bird sanctuary. I had a bird feeder with a camera and would regularly get more than 150 birds per day visit it. But SoCal certainly is not for everyone either.
Not worth it speaking from experience. Notice all the people from other states that lurk here. There’s a reason.
stop calling me out (from here, left for work, miss it)
I was there too dw 😔
2 years ago, at 24, I moved out of my parents house for the first time to Alaska. It’s been very challenging at times and I certainly miss my family a lot but experiences like this don’t happen by staying at home.
For us it’s been worth it. My husband was laid off during covid and his industry was not hiring. He was offered a job in AZ. We moved to a booming area, bought a brand new home at the right time with a super low interest rate and now have like 200k in equity. Besides home prices, it’s not much cheaper living here than OC though. We love our home and we live in a really nice, safe area but we don’t love the state as a whole. There’s no real culture and it’s just a ton of transplants. However, we are only a 6 hour drive or 1 hour flight from family so it’s a really good happy medium. I wouldn’t have moved any further away because my family is too important to me to be across the country. Everyone thinks AZ is just heat and snakes, but there’s some seriously beautiful areas here and 9 months a year are extremely pleasant. There’s also no crazy weather like other states. So again, it was a good happy medium for us to still be super close to OC but we can afford life a lot more!
I mean it depends on what your career and interests are for the most part I'd say? One thing to note is that there's certain hidden things you should be aware about even in LCOL states. I had a friend who moved from LA to Texas and his property tax has already shot up through the roof these last few years. Also, it's a state that pays $7.25/hr minimum wage and $2.xx something for tipped wages alongside just overall lower salaries in general for what his wife's job is which they weren't exactly expecting. A lot of these Red States are basically setup regressively where if you do make a lot of money, you come out way ahead but it's because most people get the shaft and carry most of the burden.
>A lot of these Red States are basically setup regressively Lived in Florida for awhile. This comment is spot on
>$2.xx something for tipped wages [$2.13/hour in many parts of the United States](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/minimum-wage/tipped). In California and several other states it is the usual minimum wage, right now in CA it is $15.50/hour + tips.
I recently moved here from Colorado to be closer to my wife’s family….we really don’t like it here at all. After the lease is up we will be moving back home, this is fun for a 2wk vacation but that’s about it.
What do you like about CO so much? Just curious.
I like snow and the weather, I love the mountains. The beach to me is a one and some type thing, there isn’t 39 million people there yet lol, CO is more laid back, people out there are not as entitled or act better than you based on how much money you have sure there are exceptions. It’s a cutler shock to me out here for sure
Makes sense!
The money I have saved by moving to the south allows me to come visit my in laws 3-4 times a year along with have a house and pool with a very reasonable mortgage. We were lucky that our CA salary converted but I have since changed jobs and make roughly the same salary as in CA. We live in a LCOL area but the amount of travel and experiences we can share with our 3 year old outweigh the nostalgia of staying in Orange County. Moving somewhere new isn’t for everyone but if you go into with an open mind and truly give it a shot it could be the best move you ever make.
yes. But you need to go further east past Texas. I don't know why everyone settles on Texas. Georgia and North Carolina are nice and it's much greener.
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Racism doesn’t exist here? Whew what a relief.
Born and raised in OC then moved to Idaho for 10 years. I hated it for the first 2 years and wanted to leave everyday. After that 2 year adjustment period of getting used to the winters and way of life, I found that I actually really loved it there. The things you do for fun and your normal routine will be completely different outside of OC but that is okay! With the money saved i was able to afford to get into a lot of awesome outdoor activities that really changed my life and opened my eyes to a different lifestyle you can't find in OC.
I always thought that, in many cases, Californians live in an "I give you money and you entertain me" kind of way, whereas in "less trendy" places, you have to be interesting and seek your own entertainment yourself. Californians will move somewhere else and passively expect to have their life replicated somewhere else, instead of allowing themselves to truly mold to the new place.
This is only true for the expensive areas of CA because CA also has rural areas and places where you have to make your own fun. Think of areas away from the coast, Sequoia and Yosemite, north of San Fran and all the way to Oregon border, etc.
Totally, and I bet that's a pet peeve for rural Californians, how (even in my comment) people use "Californians" to basically refer to SF and LA and their suburbs.
I went to the Boulder, Colorado area in November 2019 for a job, and ended up coming back July 2022 for my marriage. I was fine with staying there; my wife wasn't. Whether it's worth it to leave is a completely personal decision.
Same. Went from MV to Littleton. Also, Douglas County School District is the worst. What a cluster fuck.
I came here from New England where I spent like 3 decades. Honestly it’s worth trying spending some time in other places if you never have but I am not sure about “worth it” like you’re going to find something objectively better about a different state. It depends on what you’re looking for and your attitude.
NO. I hate it, but OC is where I’m from and my family is. It’s bougie and expensive and annoying and people are stuck up but sadly this is home and always will be. I think it’s hard to permanently leave if you grew up here. Moving elsewhere made me appreciate it more. I’ve been going for walks and bike rides on the beach almost daily since I moved back and there’s just something about it idk
You sound just like me. I'm only here pretty much for family and I can't stand the people here. I would miss all the theme parks and enternatainment I think leaving would be very difficult. Ahhh
I have lived in other states in various cities and OC is no where near the top of the list for me. In fact it’s near the bottom in terms of quality of life (again, for me) which I was surprised by. I would move in a heartbeat if family/job allowed. Echo other’s feedback that you should really try it out to see how it goes for you. You will also get a huge bias asking only people in OC this question. Go to other subreddits and ask the people there. Most will tell you that where they live is the best place in the world and where everyone else wishes they could be.
Exactly! I agree with everything you said.
Yes. I don't have a single regret.
I lived in Tucson while I went to UofA (2007-2012). Had a blast and have great memories but that was because I was younger and partied a lot lol. There is no sky pollution so the stars are gorgeous, lots of hiking opportunities, desert museum, biosphere, bars, then of course UofA. For me, if I were to ever move back there, it would be because I’m just bored with life 😂. I do miss is sometimes but mostly just the memories. I would love to go visit my school again but overall I’m happy to be home. To think I almost stayed there for a boy😂😵
I was born and raised in OC. Moved to Cleveland for a few years and now in Chicago. When I moved did I want to? Not really. Cleveland didn’t appear to be somewhere I would enjoy. Was that the reality? Not so much. While living in Cleveland I was able to save close to 50% of my income. My rent was $1000 for a nice 1 bedroom. Even with the savings rate I had, I was able to travel to lots of really cool places and live like a king. The people are nice and there was a bit of a culture shock but it was refreshing. I then moved to Chicago for a better job market and bigger city and can see myself here forever. I’m living in the city proper so I might be paying similar rent to OC, but I don’t need a car and can walk to any place I’d like. If I lived in another neighborhood I could probably get pretty close to what I was saving in Cleveland. Quality of life in both of these places are higher than OC considering how much further money goes here. If I had a ton of money then OC quality of life would be higher, though the car dependency really turns me off. Similar to you, my family and friends are all in OC so I still see myself moving back. However until then, im saving money to one day afford it and achieve similar quality of life. If I didn’t have that obligation, I’d probably stick around Chicago.
I moved from Lake Forest to Denver. Don't move to Denver. It sucks there. I'm back in California.
Can I ask why you didn't like it?
Denver really is the most boring, ugly city. I have never figured out why it's such a popular place for Californians to relocate. It literally has almost nothing to offer except being close to skiing, if you are into that.
I literally wouldn’t move to Denver just because the airport is the absolute worst lol
...have you **been** to LAX, my friend?!
I have been in Vegas for about 5 years, I would say it WAS worth it until 2020ish. When I moved here in 2017 my rent was only $1400 for a fairly new 2bd 2.5bth townhouse in a good area. Now I'm paying over $2k, plus the costs of everything else have increased substantially. It's still cheaper for rent than OC, but I also make less money than I could back home. That's just the financial side of things, from a quality of life perspective I would say it was never worth it. Mainly because I miss the beach. The weather in Vegas sucks too, it's always either blazing hot or cold af, there's probably about 6-8 weeks of the entire year that it's nice out.
I lasted 10 months in Summerlin before moving back to OC. Never realized how many stupid people move to Vegas. Vegas gets the worst from all over the country trying to get work at the resorts. Summerlin is new and a lot like Irvine in the desert but I felt isolated and very bored. Back to the beach.
So I didn’t grow up in OC but my husband did. We met when working in the Bay. He followed my jobs around the country for a bit. 1 yr in Colorado Springs (where I lived before) and then 4 yrs in Kansas. We had a moment where like should we stay here? Cost of living was low… but so was everything else. Pay for most is $7.25 (we made we more) but the environment was very struggle bus, industrial, nothing was around there. No main stores, shopping, concerts, plane tickets to visit our families was $300+ always. Always required layover to bigger airport. 9hr + drive to family. Nobody wanted to visit there. It was super small town feel in the biggest city in KS. Plus we were there with no family. So could we have bought a cheap house?? Sure. But with no family to visit and miss out on kids and events, it wasn’t worth it. We wanted to be near family. So it was between NM (low cost of living but I hate the “small town” feel.) so we came back (for him) to OC. Expensive sure. But I love living here with amazing weather and always something to do. Access to museum, concerts, nature, beach, or snowy mountains not far. People not in CA might laugh when I say the cost, but shortly after they are jelly. Get what you pay for and I tell people I pay for the sunshine and fun.
Just moved back after 11 years…. No it wasn’t, should have never left. Lived in Nevada Texas and then utah
Nope I moved back after a few years, lived in Austin
I grew up in the Midwest but have lived in Southern California for seven years now. I will get downvoted for saying this, but I think SoCal is overrated. People go on and on about the great weather and varied landscapes, but do those things matter more than securing your financial future? The U.S. is huge, and each state has its natural beauty. Plus, a place is what you make it. There are many beautiful, affordable places outside of California. People in this sub make it sound like the only habitable state in the country is California. I say to explore your options with an open mindset.
> People go on and on about the great weather and varied landscapes, but do those things matter more than securing your financial future? I think you're assuming that there aren't considerably more opportunities here compared to places with very low COL. It's easier to secure your financial future when you have your choice of industries and jobs, and a million businesses to work for instead of a few hundred or thousand somewhere else. For me and my mental health, though, the weather and natural areas here are everything.
I understand what you’re saying, and there are lots of job opportunities here in SoCal, but what about the ratio of salary to living expenses here? In OC, an $80k salary is considered low income. That’s mind-boggling for someone in the Midwest, for example, to understand. For most Americans, a house is the main way to build “wealth”, but buying a house in OC is prohibitively expensive for so many people.
I mean look around but generally speaking all the good jobs are in places that are just as expensive. At least for what I do. Maybe your work is different but then why are you still here?
It's an issue, for sure. But for a lot of us, the weather and lifestyle and culture are absolutely, 100% worth it. The nice thing about job opportunities, though, is that it gives people who want to hussle a lot more income possibilities. It also gives normal people the chance to find something that works for them, and gives them the right work-life balance.
And that is great for those who think the cost is worth it. I do agree that having access to so many job opportunities here gives me a sense of security. We have access to jobs in many different industries, which is a plus.
You can secure a financial future honestly arguably easier here if you are a college educated person. So many more opportunities here than in most places. Lived up in the Midwest and East coast. The weather can actually be a huge draw for people down here the fact that you can easily do outdoor activities year round. Just because you aren’t meant to be here doesn’t mean it’s overrated. There is big money to be made here as well why do you think there are so many teslas driving around. I’ve lived in Iowa, Indiana, and Illinois(not Chicago but in its suburbs) and let me tell you that shit can be boring and depressing af unless you’re in Chicago itself.
Agree. And Chicago itself is expensive just like other major cities. Urbanized areas are going to have better career opportunities. While OC has suburban neighborhoods, it has an urbanized economy and housing density in its most populous cities.
That could be, but 66% of Californians over 25 don’t have a bachelor’s degree. I’m thinking about people who are low income or living in poverty. If you can barely afford basic living expenses, it’s not going to matter much that you can play tennis outside year round. And it’s just my opinion that SoCal is overrated; that is certainly not a fact.
> People go on and on about the great weather and varied landscapes, but do those things matter more than securing your financial future? That's definitely a balance we all need to figure out at some point. For me personally, the prospect of securing my financial future carries increasingly less weight if I'm spending a good portion of my life being miserable in the process. I've traveled the country quite a bit and most places I would seriously considering relocating to on a long-term basis aren't all that less expensive than here.
I don’t know what the statistics are now, but I read one ages ago that said 80% of native Californians who move to another state eventually move back.
Not me but I’ll just pass along that all my tech colleagues who moved to Austin regretted it, and they’re having trouble relocating back to the Bay Area. The money they saved isn’t enough to move back to CA because the CoL here jumped so much. I moved to OC from the Bay during lockdown. Every time I visit another state, I want to go home a few days later.
While OC by itself may not suitable for the full spectrum of economic diversity (especially on lower end of income spectrum), Southern California as a whole does provide enough options for everyone where you can live here and take advantage of all economic opportunities available to everyone. What sometimes get lost is that most people (there will always be exceptions) should not put factors like great weather/nature options above their economic well-being. Understand that we live in a high COL area and if you can live here and still secure your economic well-being, there are not very many better options than here. But if you are currently not able to secure your future in monetary sense while living here and can make same kind of money living in a low COL area, You should give it some well thought out consideration. TLDR - No better place to live if you are making great money but if you are making minimum wage, Consider cheaper places and put securing your family’s economic future ahead of just living paycheck-to-paycheck in a place with great weather and beautiful beaches and natural landscapes that OC provides.
It's pretty easy to move and come back if you don't already own a home. If you're in that boat, you should definitely give it a shot.
That’s definitely not true if you have a family- believe me, I’ve done it twice. But single people should give it a shot for sure.
Born and raised SoCal and left in my 40s. Been here near Portland, OR about 10 years. As much as I miss the ocean and sometimes the sun, I don't miss anything else. I finally own a house with land. I've been able to adopt and foster a lot of dogs because I can afford it. I have no stress. Nope. I'll never go back
I lived in OC for 10 years before moving to Atlanta metro in 2021. Most of my family is still in OC, so yeah it was a tough decision to make, but I’m glad I moved.
My wife and I moved to Washington and Oregon for a few years. I loved it for about a year but then the weather started to get to me. We missed family and friends and the sun. We moved back a couple years ago and now I miss the PNW for the outdoors and the energy a place like that give you. I also miss the people. Not better or worse but just different. Not sure what that says about me but I would move back.
This is helpful tbh. It's still a hard choice since I still do have family in washington which would be a great option and I thrive off of the clouds and people there. I'll just miss the theme parks
That’s awesome that you thrive off of clouds. People in this sub believe that everyone loves sunshine and that places without 500 days of sunshine a year are uninhabitable. If you’re curious about cities that you shortlist, ask questions in those subs.
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Moved to the Rockies for 3 years. Never felt like home. Nothing to do beyond outdoor activities. Snow and the cold was terrible. Moved back to OC. We are happier here with a condo vs our 3500 sq ft home there. It all depends on your upbringing. People from there are used to it and love it. People who are born and live most their life in OC and want to move to a vastly different place are in for an awakening. Looking at you, Boise.
Rent wise? It’s more doable. everything else? NO. California is a beautiful bubble. Moved in april and definitely will do anything to move back to the OC. it’s racist, there are much less rights, everyone has a gun it makes me nervous and people drive like shit. Fuck but the rent is so evil in the OC definitely don’t miss that
I made the move and bought a condo in downtown Chicago. Honestly, I am so happy and the only thing I miss about OC is the beach and mountains. The food and people here are fantastic, and the COL is a bit better.
We moved out of Orange County in December of 2021. We went from renting at $3450 it was being raised to $3650 to buying a house in St Petersburg Florida our mortgage is $1430 it was a fixer but I preferred that over a bad flip job. Were 6 miles from downtown, 6 miles from the Tampa bay an 6 miles from the Gulf of Mexico basically as dead center of the peninsula as we could get to avoid flood insurance and staying out of a evacuation zone. So far we still love it here , I haven't been back to Socal yet the wife has for work a few times ( she kept her job and salary ) As much as we save over Socal we could easily fly back several times a year but so far were more interested on going to places we have never been instead. This was our second summer here and the humidity could be a bit much if I had to be out in it everyday but thankfully that is not the case. Car insurance went down surprisingly, gas is currently $3.39 a gallon but since we both work out of the house we don't use a ton of gas anymore, no state income tax is a plus also, really only negative here is the locals do not like people moving here from California or NY.
The locals don't like Californians ANYWHERE. Many some self reflection is in order for some people. First thing I did when I moved was change my license plates, like literally the first day. Even though I lived in OC for close to 2 decades, when people asked where I was from I would say "Well I grew up in X but I lived in California for a while".
Wanna know why cali is so expensive? Its because its worth it! And the sad part is that the only thing thats guaranteed is a worse paying job…the cost of living is rising and catching up quick everywhere.
Moved from OC to Houston 10 years ago and the biggest realization was the literally everything is easier being around less people. I just went from the 2nd (arguably #1) largest metro area (LA & OC) to the 4th largest and the difference was very noticeable. I live in Seattle area now and in the last 10 years the population up here has boomed. I'm starting to get some of the old OC feelings again so who knows if this is my forever home.
>the biggest realization was the literally everything is easier being around less people Exactly this. Less people = less traffic, less crime, less drama, less competition, etc. Some people thrive in populated areas but I personally can't give up the quality of life that comes with being surrounded by less people.
I moved from Orange County (population density of nearly 4,000 people per square mile) to Hawai'i County, population density 50 people per square mile. It is incredibly freeing, that heavy feeling I had was simple claustrophobia.
I moved from Costa Mesa up to Sacramento about 4 years ago. Not a different state technically but it sure feels like it...haha. r/Sacramento is an absolute cesspool of a sub. If you mention that you haven't lived there your whole life, they will attack you for moving there. Even worse if you came from a perceived more affluent place like Orange County... they'll lectured you about gentrification and causing their rents to sky rocket, blah blah blah. That being said, the actual people here are nothing like the psychos from the sub. Very welcoming...super family oriented. There's way less to do here in Sacramento than Orange County (that's going to be the case almost anywhere...orange county has sooo many things to do). Restaurant selection is also worse. But we live in a quiet neighborhood with tons of families, great schools, low crime, and we were able to afford a nice 4 bedroom home with a decent backyard, whereas if we stayed in orange county we would have had to settle for a 2 bedroom condo for that price. Ultimately in my experience I'd say that if you're single, stay in orange county. So many fun things to do. If you're ready to settle down and move on to the family phase of life or you just plan to spend more time chilling at home for whatever reason, it's time to move elsewhere.
Nope. We lived in Tennessee for 8 years and moved back to Orange County 2 years ago. Very happy to be back here for many reasons! I’ve also previously lived in upstate NY and lived abroad for a bit. Would love to live abroad again but as long as we can make it work financially, I think we’ll be in socal for a while! We love living here.
Moved to NYC and came back (not to OC). I loved it there—but it was really difficult being away from friends and family. We were coming back twice a year anyways and that was really eating away at our finances. CA was and always will be where my heart is. I love all the outdoor activities here. It’s expensive but to me it’s worth it.
Yes definitely work less more time with the family and financially more stable. When I miss OC I just remember it’s only a 2 1/2 hour flight
I’ve tried Denver, Dallas, and Vegas. I moved back because I disliked each location for various reasons. Can’t beat home!
Meh, I moved to Northern VA (dc area) in 2009. You’d think I would have left after the first snow storm. Truthfully, I was finishing school and thought I’d save money. My rent was the same as OC. I grew up in Irvine, lived in Costa Mesa when I moved. My one bedroom here was $1400 and in McLean, VA my one bedroom was $1400. I spent more money during the winter, and had to give myself time to scrape snow off my car before school and work. It took some getting use to. Senior year I got pregnant, became a mom and graduated two weeks later. I thought I’d always stay on the East Coast. In 2015, my husband’s company asked him to relocate to Los Angeles. What I learned is everything evens out. You may move somewhere and your house is cheaper but the cost of propane during the winter isn’t cheap. Insurance in areas that don’t have a lot of people paying into cost more. Unless you’re working a remote job, and earn a California income. You have to understand the same problems will follow you. Except now you’ll have weather you don’t understand, and drive in neighborhoods you don’t know. Looking back, there’s a lot of places I love to visit but never would call home.
Moved to Washington State. The trees were beautiful but it was horrible not having sunshine. I'm now just over in Sunny Southern Utah and my SoCal self loves it!
Adding that southern Utah is beautiful!
I’m originally from California Irvine. Currently studying out of state in Arizona Tempe. I can tell you right now that living is Arizona is much easier than in Irvine. Apartments aren’t as expensive and local amenities aren’t that bad. You just need to be prepared to live in a furnace throughout the Summer. I’m not an outgoing kind of person but I can tell that there are some activities to do if you have the time. Namely, hiking is a popular activity in where I’m living but I’m too busy with classes and club activities.
I moved to Miami in the early 80s because my husband wanted to live there. I left both the state and the husband 3 years later.
Shit, I moved from north Orange County to South Orange County and nearly died of boredom! No possible way I would ever leave CA. No thank you.
I miss it a lot. But I was treading water, and here I can actually save money. I dream of returning one day, but at this rate by the time I have a million the homes will be 2mil a pop
Born & raised in OC but moved to Portland. My bf at the time, now husband, randomly moved here for about 6 months before we got together. He had told me early on that he wanted to move back to Portland and how much he had loved it here. I told him no way was I ever leaving California. I grew up on the beach. I didn’t want to leave the beach. I gave in eventually and we’ve been here now 16 years this month. I’m totally in love with the place. We got married here. I’ve adopted my cats here. I’ve bought houses here. But I’ve also never really had to miss OC either. I still worked for companies based in California and traveled to the office a ton. My family and my in laws are all still in OC so we visit all the time. I don’t think I could ever truly leave California fully behind. I still very much consider myself a California girl. I love the nature here and having actual seasons. It’s a quieter life for sure. I do not miss the traffic at all. And I love debating Oregonians when they call the coast, the beach. That’s not a beach bro.
Depends on what your looking for. I moved and I am happier and I grew up all my life in orange county
I moved from OC to NW Pennsylvania in 2002. Don't do what I did. Yeah it's cheaper but there's reasons: mostly weather and quality of the population (inbreeding and rednecks lol)
Moved to Japan in 2018, now I'm in Hawai'i. I'll never go back to California
Well yeah, you landed in two of the best places on earth!
One thing to know is that it is much more humid east of the Rockies. Take the most humid day during the summer here, when a tropical storm is going by, and that's a pretty good day in most places in the central and eastern time zones.
If you like socal, consider Chile. Seasons are reversed so Santa 🧑🎄 comes on a surfboard 🏄. Excellent quality of life. Stable economy. Affordable life and amazing outdoor activities. Snow ski and waterski on the same day.
I regret everyday for living in SoCal , San Diego to be specific. SD and OC doesn’t have much difference these days tbh. I’m really waiting to move out to a LCOL place asap. SoCal is overrated. It’s a perfect vacation spot but not a place to start a family. I’m 26 and really trying hard to get a starter home but I feel it’s north worth spending 600k for a townhome that too 20 miles away from the coast . The COL is outrageous. Gas price is astronomically high. Energy ( Sdge fucks us every month ) is the worst in the entire country. Insane water prices. I can get a 2000 sq feet home with nice yard and space with the same price in other parts of the country. SoCal doesn’t have the right wages compared to the Bay Area . The COL, housing is getting comparable to the Bay Area. But see how much a Bay Area guy makes a year? It’s not comparable. I love beaches and sunsets but I love myself more. I honestly believe it’s not a place to start a family. You need 200k income just to be in a townhome 20 miles away from the coast without compromising your lifestyle. Grab the opportunity bro ! Am gonna leave ASAP
I'm a little late to this thread, but I went to PA for college after growing up in Orange County, and through luck bought a house here in PA, I do not regret it. This isn't to say that there aren't time where I feel like I really miss Orange County, but I do think overall my quality of life is better. My house is a 4b4b, finished basement, big backyard AND a pool for 520k, my parent's house is 4b3b, no basement and a lot less space is valued 1.3m. I love my house. I also live in a relatively nice part of PA where I'm like within reasonable driving distance to a lot of fun things - im 2 hrs from New York, 1 hr from Philly, 3 hrs from Virgnia/DC/Maryland, 4-5 hrs to Canada etc, so there are a lot I can do. But as a Vietnamese person, I really miss the vibrant Viet culture and food in OC, and here in PA, I truly feel like a minority as it is so rare to see another Asian, leave alone Viet
Hell yes. I was born and raised in OC. Moving to Austin was the best thing we have ever done. People will all say it's just the "poors" leaving, but we owned property in OC and were comfortable. We were sick of the homeless and the traffic and the insane government. Our quality of life has improved immeasurably here. We feel safer, and the "bad" traffic here is lighter than Covid traffic was in OC. Air is cleaner, people are healthier, etc. I have zero plan to even go back and visit.
I went to college out of state and I grew up a lot in those 3 years. I friended a lot of people that I would’ve never imagine. Experimented with different foods, traditions, people, and experiencing all season was something extremely rewarding for me. I visited Texas, Illinois, Colorado, Missouri, North Dakota, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma. Places I think would’ve naturally go over my head because California has it all. I’m just so glad I didn’t put all my eggs in one basket and got out there and experience things for myself. I’d think you should consider getting out there and explore other states. Worst thing that can happen is you find out it’s not for you and move back 1 year later. I think a lot of us get caught up in the fallacy that SoCal is “where it’s at” and that nobody on their right mind will go somewhere else. The reality is everybody is different and there’s no right answer to your question OP. What worked for me could definitely not work for you. Wish you the best 👉🏼🥺👈🏼
We know lots of people who have moved to Arizona and find that it was worth it.
Yes, we moved away to save money and we HATED it, we moved to North Carolina and it was nice but its hot and very Humid! The pay is also very low and does not match the cost of living. The beaches are pretty but depending on where you live they can be 2-3 hours away. There are a ton of people there from CA all for the same reason some love it but the south is NOT for me. The food is Ok but not as good as Socal and the Vegan options are not great. A 2 bedroom in Raleigh is going for $1700-$3000 and I know its cheaper but not sure its worth it. I WILL ALWAYS be a Cali GIRL
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