2 ms·

California is a nice place but pretty overrated, and I'm saying this as someone who has lived there most of this life but has been to/lived in other states and

California is a nice place but pretty overrated, and I'm saying this as someone who has lived there most of this life but has been to/lived in other states and countries. The cost of living and the taxes here are atrocious in comparison to what we get in return, which is subpar schools and lousy public transit. Let's not even get started on the homeless problem. The more we decentralize tech out of California, the better. Having pockets of tech in different cities would be preferable so long as we have more opportunities to use our earned dollars effectively. You can make six figures in California and still end up living like a rat because of how expensive everything is. Having recently landed a fully-remote job, I want this to be a year of "reconnaissance" where I'm going to take small trips around the country to check out places where I might want to live next, and where I might actually be able to enjoy some of what I earn. I'll have to add Houston to the roadmap.

stirfrykitty 8y ago
The Woodlands is a great place in the Houston area. It's north of the city and a fairly varied place as far as Texas goes. There are tons of companies, tech and otherwise here. Housing can be expensive by Texas standards, but would not cause a Californian to flinch. I know several California families who sold their homes there and bought their houses outright here in Texas, which has done wonders for their incomes. IT pay in Texas is subpar. I used to live in Northern Virgina and my base pay there was over 100k. Good luck with that in Texas--anywhere. The cost of living here just doesn't support those wages. The average IT salary here is 55-75k. More can be had, but those jobs are just not prevalent here like on either coast. I had a potential job opportunity in NYC, but my wife looked at me like I had grown horns. The money would have been great, but like California, the COL is outrageous. But...the public transport is great. It's walkable. Tons of culture and food, better weather. I like snow. I like rain.

stirfrykitty 8y ago

The Woodlands is a great place in the Houston area. It's north of the city and a fairly varied place as far as Texas goes. There are tons of companies, tech and otherwise here. Housing can be expensive by Texas standards, but would not cause a Californian to flinch. I know several California families who sold their homes there and bought their houses outright here in Texas, which has done wonders for their incomes. IT pay in Texas is subpar. I used to live in Northern Virgina and my base pay there was over 100k. Good luck with that in Texas--anywhere. The cost of living here just doesn't support those wages. The average IT salary here is 55-75k. More can be had, but those jobs are just not prevalent here like on either coast. I had a potential job opportunity in NYC, but my wife looked at me like I had grown horns. The money would have been great, but like California, the COL is outrageous. But...the public transport is great. It's walkable. Tons of culture and food, better weather. I like snow. I like rain.