I left California near the end of last year. I’d say crime was my # 1 concern, the high cost of living was #2, and the general dirtiness of public places like

I left California near the end of last year. I’d say crime was my # 1 concern, the high cost of living was #2, and the general dirtiness of public places like mass transit, sidewalks, etc was #3. Breaking down the cost of living, the biggest single issue was high taxes (not just on income but leading other things like food, gas, and other goods to cost an additional 50% or more than the same items in Colorado, where much of my family lives. Housing is also a significant additional financial burden. And what do you get for that cost? A place where restaurants put passkey locks on their restrooms and entire aisles of goods at CVS are locked behind glass barriers. The proximity to both the ocean and the mountains is great, but the cost/quality of life tradeoff isn’t very competitive, except possibly for the wealthy.