TimSF
Recycles dryer sheets
I've heard the CA arguments before but honestly when I sit down with a clear head I don't see it as being outrageously expensive especially for retirees. For e.g. if you own your home all you would pay is the RE taxes which are far less than many other states. My RE taxes are only $4500 per year. A paid for house worth at least $500k is good to have in retirement I would imagine. HELOC on it or the option of selling and moving to a cheaper state later if needed is a great plus. Food is food, I can't imagine a BigMac costing less elsewhere than here. Sure gas is a bit more but in retirement you're probably not driving all that much. Non tangible things, the weather is a huge plus but the traffic is a huge minus at least in the big cities. So what am I missing?
+1. For those in CA who have owned their homes for awhile, Prop 13 saves us a lot of money. The state income tax is less of a factor for those of us in retirement with modest incomes. If you move outside of LA or SF, day-to-day cost of living is pretty reasonable.