What is wrong with California?

[RobinFinderson]

Income per capita is different than household income.

Consider an LDS family with 4 kids and a SAHM. The dad could be pulling down $150k per year, yet if they moved out of state, the outbound income per capita would be only $25k - because the 6 family members all rely on that $150k.

So to state "Lets send a whole slew of companies with thousands of $24k/year jobs to Texas, and then a whole slew of Californians who are willing to work for $$24k/year will follow them..." simply doesn't even come close to properly interpreting the data.

You make a fair point. The average American family size is about 3.19 (according to WolframAlpha). I would guess that less than half of those transplants represents 'households' (just based on the reasoning that established family units are less likely to relocate than singles). So, while your point is valid, I don't think that it completely invalidates my interpretation of the data.

Of course there are probably other confounding factors --

People relocate for jobs when they are first entering the labor market (out of college) and I'm sure that a lot of those people skew the stats lower than one might expect.

[Katy Lied]

I will never go back to SoCal due to the overcrowding and the traffic. (Well, I might move to Crescent City or someplace not so crowded.) So yeah, while Big Bear is beautiful, it takes 6 hours to get there. When people would fly into Cali to visit, I'd beg them to take a redeye so I could pick them up at 2am, because my airport commute was only 25 minutes, as opposed to 3 hours during the day. It took 2.5 hours to get across the San Fernando valley during traffic hours, which are from 6am to 7pm. I've lived in La Jolla and Montecito, so I can appreciate California beauty, but it comes at a cost I am unwilling to pay. (I also miss the pay scale there, but then everything is bumped up so that factor kind of washes out).

[Paperback Writer]

You make a fair point. The average American family size is about 3.19 (according to WolframAlpha). I would guess that less than half of those transplants represents 'households' (just based on the reasoning that established family units are less likely to relocate than singles). So, while your point is valid, I don't think that it completely invalidates my interpretation of the data.

Of course there are probably other confounding factors --

People relocate for jobs when they are first entering the labor market (out of college) and I'm sure that a lot of those people skew the stats lower than one might expect.

Something else to consider when making educated guesses: the biggest factor making California unaffordable is housing. Single people are more willing to rent than married couples with kids. Also, renters are shielded from rising housing costs by rent controls in some California locals. Consequently, I think single people are more likely to stay in California than married people with children who want to own a home. I have several friends who started their careers in California but relocated after they had kids. They simply could not afford California real estate and calculated that they could come out ahead by leaving the state. As you know, the cost of living calculation is very different for singles. They typically don't own a home, don't have to worry about the quality of the local school district, and usually have a lot more disposable income so they are better able to afford California.

[LA Ute]

While everyone is explaining California to the rest of us (), it's useful to keep in mind that there are many Californias (about 1 of every 10 Americans live here, and they're not all in L.A./O.C. or the Bay Area). Major population centers are:

• Los Angeles County (geographically larger than at least one state)
  
• Orange County
  
• San Diego County
  
• Ventura County
  
• The Bay Area (which is huge)
  
• What's called the Inland Empire -- Riverside, San Bernardino Counties.
  
• The Central Valley, which ranges from semi-rural Bakersfield to Modesto, which is becoming a Bay Area suburb.
  
• The Central Coast (Santa Barbara to Monterey).
  
• The Eastern Sierra (Bishop, Mammoth)
  
• Northern California (I think Big Piney lives there).

I know I am leaving some out. All these areas have vastly different populations, cultures, climates, real estate values, and so forth -- not to mention lots of wide-open spaces, as oxcoug has noted. So California's a big, complex place (one of the things I love about it) and it's impossible to generalize much about the state and be accurate.

[Tex]

... it's impossible to generalize much about the state and be accurate.

Except state politics.

[Surfah]

I miss California often. I spent most of my formative years growing up in LA County. I cherish my childhood and growing up in Valencia. If I could afford it I'd go back in a heartbeat.

One of my favorite experiences from college was taking a group of guys from my floor in W Hall home for a long weekend. None of these guys had ever been to California. It made me realize that I took a lot for granted growing up there.

[Katy Lied]

While everyone is explaining California to the rest of us (), it's useful to keep in mind that there are many Californias (about 1 of every 10 Americans live here, and they're not all in L.A./O.C. or the Bay Area). Major population centers are:

• Los Angeles County (geographically larger than at least one state)
• Orange County
• San Diego County
• Ventura County
• The Bay Area (which is huge)
• What's called the Inland Empire -- Riverside, San Bernardino Counties.
• The Central Valley, which ranges from semi-rural Bakersfield to Modesto, which is becoming a Bay Area suburb.
• The Central Coast (Santa Barbara to Monterey).
• The Eastern Sierra (Bishop, Mammoth)
• Northern California (I think Big Piney lives there).

I know I am leaving some out. All these areas have vastly different populations, cultures, climates, real estate values, and so forth -- not to mention lots of wide-open spaces, as oxcoug has noted. So California's a big, complex place (one of the things I love about it) and it's impossible to generalize much about the state and be accurate.

true

[Indy Coug]

Just don't anyone speak ill of Barstow.

[Surfah]

While everyone is explaining California to the rest of us (), it's useful to keep in mind that there are many Californias (about 1 of every 10 Americans live here, and they're not all in L.A./O.C. or the Bay Area). Major population centers are:

• Los Angeles County (geographically larger than at least one state)
  
• Orange County
  
• San Diego County
  
• Ventura County
  
• The Bay Area (which is huge)
  
• What's called the Inland Empire -- Riverside, San Bernardino Counties.
  
• The Central Valley, which ranges from semi-rural Bakersfield to Modesto, which is becoming a Bay Area suburb.
  
• The Central Coast (Santa Barbara to Monterey).
  
• The Eastern Sierra (Bishop, Mammoth)
  
• Northern California (I think Big Piney lives there).

I know I am leaving some out. All these areas have vastly different populations, cultures, climates, real estate values, and so forth -- not to mention lots of wide-open spaces, as oxcoug has noted. So California's a big, complex place (one of the things I love about it) and it's impossible to generalize much about the state and be accurate.

Unless Big Piney moved he does not live in Northern California. Also, I just recently learned that Big Piney's hood is represented by Buck McKeon. When did those counties become part of the 25th congressional district?

[Blueintheface]

[YOUTUBE]NZpaK6lJtVI[/YOUTUBE]

[LA Ute]

Except state politics.

Our legislature is generally nuts. That's a fair generalization.

Unless Big Piney moved he does not live in Northern California. Also, I just recently learned that Big Piney's hood is represented by Buck McKeon. When did those counties become part of the 25th congressional district?

I was confused. I think there is a CUFer who lives in or near Redding. Probably can't be Big Piney.

[BigPiney]

Unless Big Piney moved he does not live in Northern California. Also, I just recently learned that Big Piney's hood is represented by Buck McKeon. When did those counties become part of the 25th congressional district?

I grew up in the Bay Area, but I am now firmly entrenched in the Eastern Sierra. Howard 'Buck' McKeon has been my representative since I moved here, but with the recent redistricting, we are lumped in with Apple Valley/ Victorville and the congressional seat has about 20 people running. Buck will no longer be my Representative, but thanks for the Mule Museum.

[BigPiney]

Our legislature is generally nuts. That's a fair generalization.



I was confused. I think there is a CUFer who lives in or near Redding. Probably can't be Big Piney.

There are at least 3 in Redding. Bluegoose, Steelblue and OrangeUte.

[LA Ute]

There are at least 3 in Redding. Bluegoose, Steelblue and OrangeUte.

[TripletDaddy]

I will never go back to SoCal due to the overcrowding and the traffic. (Well, I might move to Crescent City or someplace not so crowded.) So yeah, while Big Bear is beautiful, it takes 6 hours to get there. When people would fly into Cali to visit, I'd beg them to take a redeye so I could pick them up at 2am, because my airport commute was only 25 minutes, as opposed to 3 hours during the day. It took 2.5 hours to get across the San Fernando valley during traffic hours, which are from 6am to 7pm. I've lived in La Jolla and Montecito, so I can appreciate California beauty, but it comes at a cost I am unwilling to pay. (I also miss the pay scale there, but then everything is bumped up so that factor kind of washes out).

I'm interested in hearing more about a commute that takes 2.5 hours to get across the san fernando valley. Where were the starting and stopping points?

6 hours to Big Bear? Where did you live?