Lately it’s been an ongoing struggle to stay in California. Many people have built their lives in this golden state, careers in fact, and the thought of picking all of that up and cutting ties seemed difficult.
And then the illness happened. Everything shut down, people were forced to work remote, and thus started the realization that people can pretty much work from anywhere.
The days of dragging your feet to the office were no more. People also started to understand that being anchored to one specific city no longer attributed to living a fulfilling and happy life.
The benefits of living in El Dorado have significantly diminished.
Affordability has plummeted over the years. The amount of money it takes to purchase and sustain a home is a much higher expense compared to a tax-free state like Nevada.
Still on the fence about leaving? Well here are some more points to consider.
1. California has the highest state income tax across the entire U.S
2. Los Angeles has one of the highest sales taxes in the nation, in fact it’s close to 10%
3. The city also has a business tax on top of everything else that they require you to pay into if you’re working within the city as an independent contractor or sole proprietor.
4. Poverty and crime has been a major problem for California and the state has not found a way to remedy the situation.
5. The cost of living is not sustainable. There is a premium that you pay to live in a sunny area where you can’t even walk down the street without flinching from fear that someone might attack you.
6. Everything in California is dictated by parking.
At the end of the day, it’s clear that the opportunity cost of not moving just got to a place where it’s worth it to move.
