We moved from California to Colorado in 2011. We were paying $3200 a month in Cali for 1000 sq ft and 1 car garage. We were making fairly good money but it was just gone after paying the bills. Traffic absolutely sucked in the Orange County area to the point that we couldn't legitimately commute more than 10 miles unless we were willing to wait hours on the road (this was before remote work became the norm). We now have a 4000sq ft house, etc at $2400 a month mortgage.
The weather was very nice year round and the area we lived in was relatively pleasant, but things were financially too much of a pain. When I first moved there we could get out and enjoy the beaches, mountains, etc but as time went on we had less and less time and money for anything. Things have gotten worse now in Cali and the friends I still have living there are looking to get out. Most have been there for decades but are completely exhausted by the Democratic governance and the overall decline in living standards.
The sad part is that I see Colorado slowly turning into the California I left. The last election was a complete Democratic sweep.
