Where to go

[El_fuego]

Ok boys I need some help. We’re done! We’re throwing in the towel and calling it quits in California. Me and the wife are absolutely fed up with the government, the bs restrictions and the knuckleheads that are so entitled. We’ve narrowed it down to Idaho, Montana and the wildcard is Texas. I wanna head north for obvious reasons, she likes Texas because of the prices. We’re not dead set on anywhere since I’ll be leaving a very good and steady career in California and will be starting over from nothing. We’re just leaving it up to the Lord to provide once we land where we’ll go.

just looking for input from anyone who has recently done the same or just general input from anyone with great ideas. Thanks boys!

 

[Rob5589]

Truly discuss what is important to your standard of living before deciding. You won't be the first to leave here, only to bring "California" with you. Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Colorado, etc, are prime examples.

 

[Poser]

I heard that all of the best deer hunting is in Texas.

 

[El_fuego]

Truly discuss what is important to your standard of living before deciding. You won't be the first to leave here, only to bring "California" with you. Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Colorado, etc, are prime examples.

Ooo believe me I totally agree. My plan is draw a 100 mile circle around every Costco and eliminate those areas. I have heard to many horror story’s about California folks and their money infiltrating great towns.

 

[Rob5589]

Ooo believe me I totally agree. My plan is draw a 100 mile circle around every Costco and eliminate those areas. I have heard to many horror story’s about California folks and their money infiltrating great towns.

Yep. Sad to see people wanting to leave things they despise, yet live the same way when they get there.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I’d move to Montana, fly fishing and try my hand at the unlimited units and be cool with that.

 

[Mosby]

There are sections of Montana and Idaho that I love but you will find a much better job market in Texas depending on what you do for a living. No state income tax is great but is offset by expenses that tend to be high like insurance. We left Texas because my wife hated it. We moved to Oklahoma and really enjoyed it there. Lower cost of living, less traffic and slightly better weather(not as hot). We still have friends in Oklahoma. Highly underestimated(once you get past the tornadoes).

Between the three you listed, I like Montana the best. Beautiful area around Troy. I would retire to Missoula if my wife would let me.

 

[JFK]

Couple other things to consider:

Get a short list of potential places you are considering....then go there during a time when the weather is not good. Easy to fall in love with a lot of places in the Spring and Summer only to find out its only like that 3 months out of the year. I also live in Ca and agree that we have a lot of problems, but weather isn’t one of them.

You’ve heard the stories about how people from the states you mentioned view people from California. You likely won’t be viewed any differently. Not a knock on you, just the way it goes.

If you have a good career here in Ca I’d look for a place where your skills translate to. Starting over, square one, with no local connections can be doable, but tough.

Like someone else mentioned, think about things you value. Cost of living, good local restaurants, buy a chunk of land or want neighbors? If you enjoy certain aspects of life now you’ll miss them when they aren’t available to you unless there is an equal trade off you are gaining by moving. The good feeling of moving to a state with a different government will fade over time and you’ll want things that you and your wife can enjoy.

Try to find something that works for both of you. My wife and I have never made a big move like this but it seems like something where a lot of resentment could build up if one person ends up moving to a place they didn’t have a say in. Get genuine buy so you don’t run into the “I never wanted to move here” conversation a year down the line.

Best of luck.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Buncha p*ssies leaving is how my state got this F'ed up in the first place. I stay and fight the good fight, would love to see CA a red state again but ya can't be part of the solution if you are part of the problem.
Do you blame the cancer victim for cancer?
Leftists are the cancer...not Calif. What the state actually needs is a bunch of conservatives to move here. Take control of CA and you save the whole damn nation.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Buncha p*ssies leaving is how my state got this F'ed up in the first place. I stay and fight the good fight, would love to see CA a red state again but ya can't be part of the solution if you are part of the problem.
Do you blame the cancer victim for cancer?
Leftists are the cancer...not Calif. What the state actually needs is a bunch of conservatives to move here. Take control of CA and you save the whole damn nation.

Ha,ha, I hear ya! I was born and raised in NorCal, a pussy my entire life because I knew from about the age of 5 that Cali wasn’t for me. I remember in kindergarten the teacher going around the room asking what everyone wanted to be when they grew up. There were plenty of fireman, policemen, nurses, doctors, etc., I wanted to be a mountain man in Alaska or the Yukon. I didn’t quite make it like I envisioned, but I did leave Cali when I was 20, and haven’t lived there since. I still root for the Niners, Sharks, Warriors, and Giants, but I otherwise despise California. The weather does kick ass though, I will say that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[16Bore]

More fleeing from the blue bell holes. Yay. Leave the f’n politics where they came from. Expect the next real estate bubble.

 

[mlgc20]

Fortunately, my job allows me to live where I want. I've lived in 10 other states and traveled to 49 of 50 states (not Alaska yet). And while Texas isn't perfect. It's perfect for my family and we love it. Here is my breakdown of the pros and cons of Texas.

PROS:
* Great job market. If I ever did lose my job, Texas would be an easy place for me to find another one.
* Cheap real estate. Prices are going up. But, still good relative to many states.
* Good schools. There are some bad ones for sure. But, it's not hard to find pretty good schools if your near any of the major cities.
* Diversity. This surprises a lot of people. But, the Texas cities are very diverse from a political, religious, racial, etc. perspective. Dallas especially, is a city of transplants. People are from all over the place. Literally none of our immediate neighbors are from Texas. Rural Texas isn't this way. It is much more homogeneous. And sure, Texas is still a Red state. But, you won't feel out of place if you're more left leaning than average. Just don't bring that liberal commie crap to small town Texas . There are already a ton of people here from California, due to so many businesses moving here. You wouldn't be alone.
* Get your guns and enjoy them! We have tons of gun shows and they are awesome.
* No state income tax.
* Great churches. If you're interested in attending church, we have tons of good ones. We also have a few crazy televangelists. But, their easy enough to avoid.

CONS:
* Way too hot. Ugh.
* Hunting sucks. There is no public land to speak of. There are a few pockets where you can find a reasonable lease. But, you aren't going to go pick up an OTC tag and start wandering in the woods. I rarely hunt here anymore. But, due to the lower cost of living, I can spend money going out of state. Last year I went on a fishing trip in Wyoming, a fishing trip in Montana, first rifle elk in Colorado and cow elk in New Mexico. There are plenty of opportunities driving distance away.
* High sales tax and property tax. Even though we don't have a state income tax, the government will get their money somehow. Here they get it through high property and sales tax. In Dallas, sales tax is 8.25%.
* Did I mention it's crazy hot.

I'm sure I've left some pros and cons out. But, this was the stuff that came to mind. Best of luck in your decision.

 

[rooster440]

Remember, don’t vote for what you’re leaving. Leave komifornia behind and don’t californicate. Nobody likes seeing komifornia plates in their neighborhoods or states for that matter. Lol

Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LookinforDirt]

Buncha p*ssies leaving is how my state got this F'ed up in the first place. I stay and fight the good fight, would love to see CA a red state again but ya can't be part of the solution if you are part of the problem.
Do you blame the cancer victim for cancer?
Leftists are the cancer...not Calif. What the state actually needs is a bunch of conservatives to move here. Take control of CA and you save the whole damn nation.

Noble idea and I have often thought that myself about people leaving Ca. But people also need to live and enjoy their lives the way they want too. Living under Ca‘s oppression and missing out on the things you enjoy to fight the good fight is a big sacrifice to ask of people. I lived in Chicago for 20 years and could kick myself for staying so long. Wasted a lot of time not enjoying the things I love to do because I didn’t leave. And it was far from being just my just my hobbies that made me hate the place. Finances and quality of life, Chicago/IL is a disaster. My home in Texas is worth an estimate 30-40k more than what I paid for it 3 years ago. The buyers who bought our place in Chicago sold it 2 1/2 years later for 18k less than they paid. Property taxes are about the same as where I live in Texas but the Chicago public schools are terrible and they are broke. Teachers constantly on strike and at odds with the mayor. In Texas, we live in one of the top school districts in the state and have 2-3 other great districts close by. And I live in a single family home on a decent size lot in a highly desirable area. In Chicago I lived in a condo and had a 3x7ft patch of concrete outside to call my own. IL has a high sales tax and a state income tax. Chicago residents (Cook county) pay an additional 1 or 1.25% tax when they buy certain items outside the county. E.g. motor vehicles. Politics, I could go on forever. 4 of the last 8-9 governors went to prison. Multiple house reps, alderman convicted and sent to prison. Crime? Incredibly high murder rate. I literally saw from my living room window 4 people get shot. And it was not a bad neighborhood I lived in (this one particular apt building on the block had bad people in it though).

So to ask people to stay in a place negatively impacting their lives isn’t really reasonable. Maybe an exodus is just what is needed in Ca. We just don’t need any more blue losers moving to central Tx/Austin area. They’ve already made the blue dot here bigger and brought their f’d up Ca ways with them. Tx is good place to live for now but I won’t be staying once I retire. The public land situation is a deal breaker And will certainly move out of Austin once my son graduates high school. To the OP, I’ve been through what you are going through, get out of Ca if you can. You’ve got one life to live.

 

[bobr1]

You should probably move to Texas (minus Austin). If you are truly trying to "get away from California" Idaho and Montana are not the places to go anymore. They all have the same logic as you, is to get away from all the people and stress and politics, and it ends up being moved to the other states (not saying you in particular). I feel bad for Idaho because that state is totally f&cked now and Western Montana from Bozeman up to the Flathead is really becoming Eastern California. Sad thing how all the teleworkers and people move there or buy second homes, and local workers and public servants are starting to not be able to afford to even live in their own towns. Bozeman, Missoula, Whitefish etc are examples of serious housing problems that when adjusted for salary are like California prices. Very few people I know from California can tolerate living on the east side or really remote towns anyway and all the towns with any amount of real jobs will have a Costco. I think locals don't like most Californians because instead of assimilating to the culture they complain about the problems that need to be changed or things they don't like. Also, Wyoming is a good one you should conisider, it will probably be the last hold out other than Jackson obviously, but most of the rest of the state is California free, them some tough people that live in WY and no state income tax.

 

[El_fuego]

Bobr1 nailed it. Your exactly right about western mt and that’s what we’re trying to avoid. We do spend Almost a month every burst out on the east side of mt and I love it but it is pretty bare, people are great.
Thank you all for the input

 

[Braaap]

I went from NorCal to Texas and couldn’t get out of Texas fast enough. You could offer me million dollars a year to live in Texas and I wouldn’t go back.

Too many great options out west to even consider TX.

 

[schmalzy]

To echo others, Texas has pros and cons. There’s public white tail hunting out east, but like anywhere else, it’s tough and you got to put the time in to learn the game. Very little public land relative to the west, but still some cool opportunities with the coast.

Economically, TX has a lot of options. Relatively low cost of living, many housing options, and all sorts of industry. Weather kind of sucks, but it’s not that bad.

If it weren’t for business I’d be somewhere else, but it’s still a good place to live. Just know what you’re getting into.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Rokwiia]

The concern I would have is that I flee California and resettle in another state only to discover that is slowly becoming like California. Of the three states the OP mentioned, Idaho's legislative Rep/Dem mix at 80%/20% is tilted the most to the Right. Montana's legislature is 40%-43% Democrat, including a recently-reelected US Senator, and mostly likely of the 3 states to turn Blue. Texas is in between the two states.

There are states that have large populations concentrated in a few cities that control what happens with the rest of the state with an iron fist. The best example is New York State where New York City calls all of the shots. The urban areas of both Montana and Texas are growing in both population and influence.

If I were choosing, I'd take Idaho in a heartbeat. There is NO chance you will have state gun or hunting rights curtailed in the foreseeable future. You also have easy access to Montana.