Don't take into account the higher appreciation in California . I disagree about the safety net. I was a high earning California resident (mid six) and when I

Don't take into account the higher appreciation in California . I disagree about the safety net. I was a high earning California resident (mid six) and when I was laid off, I got my unemployment and my kids got free Medicaid that ended up paying out quite a bit. The safety net is pretty nice. Since that payout from insurance, my total tax burden in California was actually negative. Had I been in a state like Texas I would have paid less in tax but more overall.