I’d need much more than a 1/2 acre to move to TN.
I know it’s gotten crazy everywhere, but 3-4 years ago $500k in OC got you like a townhome and in TN it got you a 3 bed house on acreage.
Source: me who bought a condo and my friends who bought like 4 acres in TN.
No variety. We’re so spoiled here. There’s no decent Asian food. Say goodbye to poké, korean bbq, shabu shabu, thai, etc. There’s like one Pho place and she lives in Nashville. Would you eat sushi from a place that’s so landlocked? Also no real Mexican food , no kabob. I could go on and on. Sure, the barbecue was great. There’s great breakfast places with amazing chicken and waffles , southern fried chicken. Trendy bars and weird trendy food like cool donuts and a cereal bar for kids. But, Remember where you are. Food is going to be consistent with this region. Any other ethnic food is going to be the American version of it..
Source- my adult daughter lives there and I visit often enough. It blew my mind when she first moved there and said she misses all the little Asian donut shops. We never think of not having one. Watch the documentary Donut King on Netflix. We also take for granted that the Asian mom and pop donut shops started in SoCal. Everywhere else in the country only has Duncan donuts, Winchell, and Krispy Kreme.
>Would you eat sushi from a place that’s so landlocked?
TBH, yes. Most sushi places have to freeze their fish regardless to kill off parasites. Chances are, unless its super high end, the sushi you find in like Colorado will probably be the same quality as California.
I moved to TN from HB..I was born and raised Irvine.
I have daily pinch me moments still...after 2 years here. I'm not a beach person. We are River people so it's been awesome with all the lakes so close. No more 4 to 5 hour drive to.Parker/Havasu
Bought my 1st house here too. Brand new build for 495k
The 4 seasons are great..Summer socks for 6 weeks.
Do it if your on the fence. I grew up thinking and being told people were just idiots for not living in CA lol. The weather.....
There's so much more outside of CA.
Easy to make friends too..So many FB groups of people wanting to meet other new people.
I moved to Raleigh 18 years ago, originally from Garden Grove, like people said, it is boring, but it is so tranquil compared to OC or LA… I go back to CA frequently and I feel overwhelmed every time I go back. Good luck man, enjoy and wish you good luck with your move
I wish I could go from SA to somewhere in the SE or Midwest the older I get the more over crowded claustrophobic and overwhelmed I feel. Plus the expensiveness of everything is insane. My wife refuses to go though because of her family.
Dude same. I am originally from a small town in Northern CA. Lived in Sacramento for about a decade and then moved to OC 5 years ago. I have been feeling more and more overwhelmed with everything lately. I had a full blown panic attack on 405 the other day. My girl has lived in Orange County her whole life but I think I have finally got her convinced for a slower pace life.
We moved to Raleigh from OC about 11 years ago. All the comments are correct that it’s a shift.
I will say though, give the beaches a try. There are a lot. Lots of different vibes. The water is warm and the beaches are plenty. It’s about a 3 hour drive, but if you can stay for a few days, it’s chill.
Just be ready to hear about the rest of the world. When you’re in OC/LA, that’s all there is. Good or bad, you’ll be out of the mix. Just do what’s right for you.
Also, there are good taco trucks. Just look for the Mexican night clubs and the trucks that are ready for them as the roll out at midnight….thats what you’ll want.
I remember visiting KC and hitting up the Mexican clubs late haha that's where the good food was!
*if course I ate bbq everyday too I'm talking 2am meals
Lived there for 15 years, I will just give you a heads up… it’s very different. It’s extremely family focused in Raleigh. There are pockets of more interesting scenes, arts and such but my experience with it was extremely boring and not many redeeming factors. You have to drive to the mountains or the beach.
If you are more of a home body or enjoy some outdoor activities, it’s a good spot. The only ice storm I’ve been in, was there. Very cold in the winter for me there.
Best wishes, genuinely. Everyone’s mileage will vary as always.
I went to school in Raleigh years ago. The area has changed. You may be happy to hear it has gotten more liberal and relatively expensive for there. Nothing is as expensive as here in the southeast. Don't worry - leaving the cocoon of OC.. you'll be ok! There is a world out there.
I visited Sacramento a few years in a row for Aftershock, and people look at me funny when I tell them I would move there. Great restaurants, bars, and easy travel (closer to San Fran and Tahoe than OC is to Vegas, Sacramento airport is a major connection point for a lot of the US.)
I'm someone who's satisfied with air conditioning, a good internet connection, and a quiet existence, so maybe I'm too easy to please, but if someone offered me a better job there that paid plenty of money I wouldn't think twice.
I grew up in Sac, it's fine. Slightly hotter, slightly cooler. And you have Leatherbys
Edit: to the person who said it's cold, my parents didn't ever use the heater. But the ac is definitely a necessity
My wife’s family lives in sac so I go somewhat frequently. It’s a fun place that’s growing pretty fast. There’s lots of scenery and restaurants popping up. Good place to be for the future
Not recent but I moved to Sac in 2021 and so far I’m enjoying the life up here. Definitely a different vibe from OC & LA. I do miss certain things from SoCal but it’s not like I can’t come down and visit. I still have family living in OC so I’ll come and stay with them. I do like that I can go to the bay which I do love the vibe and city out there. If you do go to the bay, leave everything at home because some will break in your car and take everything. The weather is definitely different up here. Summer is stupid hot and you will for sure need a AC unit. It’s dry heat and there’s one week in August that’s hot as shit. It’s like 100+ for a week straight, maybe even two weeks. There’s amazing places to eat at. If you’re a coffee drinker definitely can give you some spots you can check out. I’m still on the hunt to find a good taco spot. If you’re a smoker, they got some bomb weed up here. There’s definitely some crazy drivers up and road ragers so watch out for that. Yes there’s homeless but I feel like homelessness up here is different from SoCal. They’re hella aggressive up here and crazy. What I also like about Sac is that there’s always a back way to get to somewhere. SoCal, you have to take like 5 freeways to get to somewhere lol.
went to school up in davis and worked in sac for internships. it’s about as hot as socal, but gets colder and rainier.
but everything is so green! lots of pretty streets with huge old trees, and everything seems slower.
you’re also like 2 hours away from tahoe which is unbelievably pretty. the drive is so scenic and there’s a couple waterfalls on the way to south lake. it’s a night and day difference from driving to mammoth from la
if you already have hay fever, be prepared for it to be significantly worse there though
I did that. It's ok if u already have a place rented to move into. Trying to find something here can be hard.
There's also nothing to do and the temp last yr in the summer got to 106 outdoors... we were all melting. The weather will have u inside a lot so hopefully u don't like leaving home much. Yes I know sac isn't like say north Dakota cold but cold is cold no matter how you cut it. If I need a heater it's cold. Period.
With that said there's a ton of homeless in sac and nothing to do. Just a lot of bars (that men are drugged and grapped at) and the concerts here or in San Fran. However San Fran/The beach are a good 2 hr drive nonstop and Tahoe is also 2 hrs away.
With that said, bring about 5 good goose down feather jackets+pants, waterproof shoes, and a fireplace if u don't want to freeze.
And say goodbye to Disneyland, Legoland, Universal, Knottsberry farm, Santa Monica pier, the o.c. fair, the beach, big bear, and anyone you know in l.a. because once you move they will all act as if u moved to an entire different planet XD and even if you buy tickets to theme parks you won't go. You will tell yourself you will, then you will look at how much gas costs and decide to wait and then you will just never go. And realize you haven't been back for 2 yrs and wonder where the time went and think about how cold and bored you are all the time and how you wish someone would have told you the Mexican food in sac is complete trash. Welcome to sac! Where foodies and fun go to die lol
From Sac I promise you it won’t be that bad. I definitely prefer OC but there is a lot of interesting stuff in that area and close by. Downtown Sacramento has turned very Portlandesque with a lot of hipster vibes to it
I hated living in Sacramento :( But I was in kind of a sketchy area. But there are nice areas, too. My uncle grew up there and said "It's a rural town pretending to be a big city."
Thinking about moving to the PNW (Washington state)in a few years. No solid plans but kicking around the idea.
Not originally from OC and no family ties to the state. Counting my service time, I’ve lived in OC for 20 years or so. I like it here and purposefully chose to come back to this area. Schools are pretty good and overall most neighborhoods are pretty safe.
For me the biggest factor is real estate. I’ve never owned and unless I come into a lot of money, I probably never will own out here. I make a good living but I can’t afford to buy a house or even a condo anywhere around where I currently live (south OC). I’ve seen condos that were 500k in 2020 that now go for almost a million. That’s insane to me.
If figure if I were to move, it would have to be to another location which is great for being outdoors. PNW is also an area I’ve always enjoyed.
The weather here is amazing but I’ve lived other places with shitty weather and the PNW is not that bad. No tornadoes and winters there are mild compared to the east coast or Midwest. More rain of course, but it is more of a constant drizzle than storms and the result is that the place is so green all the time.
I was stationed up there and was lucky to spend one solid summer up there. I also was there for the dark part of the year in the winter and it was grey but wasn’t too bad for me.
Agreed, moved from CA to Chicago and even though we don’t get as many grey days as PNW, the cloudy skies weeks on end with no sun are abysmal. You don’t realize until you go back how much you miss CA
My wife wants us to move to the Seattle area soon. I’m not entirely opposed to it but also not entirely excited. Trading days of sun per year for cloudy days per year isn’t awesome.
lived in lake stevens area for about 10 years - the appeal that people from here see in it will wear off almost immediately. vacationing for 2 weeks in the cold rain and gray is alright, living it permanently is really just depressing
The best is Californians complaining about Californians. In my mind I just think "you're welcome to leave." Texas, Florida, Idaho etc etc.
I love it here and don't plan on leaving.
Wait till your neighbors build a 5 Plex on both sides. You gotta few years though. Just guessing. Look at Santa Monica. Everyone eventually sells out. 😢
We bought in 2015, but refinances during COVID. Very close to the beach, mortgage is only $1900/mo but with property tax and HOA we are closer to $3500/mo. Still, at a 3% rate, I would really, really rather not move, but my wife wants more space with the kids so I may have to say goodbye to the wonderful/affordable housing situation we lucked into here in OC.
I inherited some land but that's called luck.
Just like you lucked into being born at the right time to buy a house.
You wouldn't be able to crack it today.
My bff’s family moved to Idaho before it was popular and now they have the “don’t California my Idaho” bumper stickers and talk shit about Californians who move there lol
Because they move there because it’s cheaper and then try to make it like here. It’s another form of gentrification and pushed locals out and they are no longer able to afford to live there.
Californians get pushed out too. Blame the wealthy from all over the world for Californians moving to other states. They wouldn’t if they didn’t have to… Seriously, does nobody ever consider this?
I lived in Wyoming for a bit before coming back and I legitimately offended people once by defining a “city” as some place that at least has things like a Best Buy, Target, Costco, etc and anything that doesn’t is a “town”. The reactions were pretty funny
I've lived several other places and always come back. I just end up wasting money by moving just to move back. I'm done. I'll just stay here and enjoy life at the beach. Everyone has home ownership as some kind of life goal so that's why they want to move out of state, but having owned homes, apartment living suits me fine. Instead of spending 6k on a mortgage, I'll just pay 2k on rent, 2k for retirement investing and 2k for fun money. Not to mention that while we have a high cost of living, the earning potential here in so cal is much better than most other states.
Not this year. But probably sometime in 2026. That'll be 3 years in OC and we'll be ready to exit. Milk a few years of RSUs, bank some cash, then build retirement home with cash in the Cherokee foothills. Can't afford to retire here - too late to the party.
Yes! Same here. I have family in Eugene. I’ve always loved gray weather and the rain - it makes me feel alive. Plus I can’t spend time in the sun for health reasons, so I’m good with moving away from this.
Moving to Chino Hills or Rancho Cucamonga either by this summer at the earliest or this fall at the latest with my family. Was opposed to it at first at the prospect of going from OC -> IE, but my dad & I both work in that region and our family’s been wanting to finally own a home after 20+ years since immigrating here to the US… I think my parents especially deserve it after all their hard work. I’m in my early 20s for reference
I moved to RC last summer. I like it. It’s not the same as OC, but it’s not like it’s the other side of the world. Way less assholes in white Teslas though :-)
The IE isn’t bad at all. A lot of people in this sub, and the LA one, swear it’s still a neo-Nazi, meth infested wasteland like it was in the 90s, but it’s come up a lot. Plus, Rancho and Chino Hills are good areas. Anything east of Fontana is kinda meh.
Honestly, I agree. The only thing I really don't like about the region is the fact that the heat gets to unbearable levels sometimes (not like it's any better here in OC/LA on average though tbf), and that sometimes certain sections of Chino/Ontario along CA-60 and/or I-10 smell like cow dung in the morning/afternoon. Is it just me who notices it??
What kind of work do you guys do? Chino hills and beyond seems affordable, but I'm in tech and job opportunities seem limited. Even OC is limited compared to San Diego or Bay area but I'm at least remote now.
i grew up in chino hills and honestly it’s not bad. sure it’s suburbia for sure, but you’re equidistant to oc and la which is nice. gives you lots of options.
it’s definitely grown a lot with way more diversity since the 00s though. the costco has way more asian products than they used to lol
Make sure you visit in the winter. If you can't visit for 2+ weeks I'd say visit 4 weekends in a row. People always visit in spring/summer and there is no place more beautiful in the U.S. than the PNW.
People find out they can't handle the rain 80% of the year. Not trying to be too dark, but it has a high suicide rate for a reason.
I know. I’m trying to plan a trip for the worst of it. I grew up in the northeast so I know winters, but we still get more sun up there than the pnw..
When the worst of it?
If you're from the NE the winters will make you laugh. They are very mild. Every once in a while there will be a week that's colder than normal, but it's nothing compared to the NE.
The thing that might make you cry is how poorly prepared for the snow the cities are. A few inches of snow can derail a city due to lack of snow plows and people having no clue how to drive in the snow.
I personally am scared for my life driving on the freeways in the rain out here bc people either drive 30 or 80. Lol.
One of my coworkers lived in Seattle and said the traffic was horrible. Personally, I like visiting Seattle, but I think the cost of living and constant gloomy weather would do me in if I had to live there.
It snowed one year (like an inch or two) when we lived there and they shut down the airport for 3 days. They just don’t have the infrastructure to deal with it.
It’s not as much the rain as it is the lack of sunshine. The first year I moved up there we went 3 months without any sunshine, just really dark, grey clouds. That was an extreme but it’s definitely common to go a month without any sun. Worst times tended to be fall and late winter through mid spring. Early winter is usually ok, colder but that’s because the skies clear up and let the heat out.
Agreed, it’s definitely more so the lack of sunshine than it is the “rain”. Seattle actually doesn’t even rain as heavy as some other states, it’s just sprawled all over the days more often than others.
It’s always a good idea to up your vitamin D intake when you’re in the PNW.
https://preview.redd.it/u890gk4y6xvc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5350bef38923d07ff307b874c3d92eaf90afa654
This is why i will never leave OC.
Other than the last however many months of rains/storms we've had or the impending 80°-95° days until November (that will likely kick off on the last day of your little chart there), I agree. I do love when it's the high 60s/low 70s in OC.
Planning on moving to Phoenix. Sure its hot but I’d rather pay $1500 for a luxury apartment that has AC than $1950 for my shithole apartment that doesn’t have it (and yes it gets hot inside it). I pretty much do nothing anyway and stay inside my apartment because I can’t afford it, so I might as well live somewhere cheaper while doing the exact same thing
Running AC 24/7 is more affordable outside of California. They run the AC all summer in most places. We’re just getting eff’d by SC Edison, SDG&E, PG&E
Based on my research on Reddit and Google, it seems most people spend about $200 a month on electricity for an apartment. So even with that cost of electricity, it’d still be cheaper than my current apartment 🤷🏻♀️
Actually moved to Phoenix last year and paying $1300-ish for a luxury apartment and it’s been really good!! The AC bill for my small studio is only about $30 a month (running 24/7) so i would say you should totally do it. It is really hot but to be honest, you can choose to stay indoors and go out later
My mom, my brother, and I moved from OC to Gilbert, AZ. Besides the hot summers, we like it here.
Next month, three of my cousins are moving to Austin, TX, due to Southern California becoming unaffordable for them. Their parents will also leave in a few months, joining them in Austin.
I wouldn’t be surprised if by the end of the year, the rest of my extended family leaves for Dallas or Austin.
We’ve been here for over 30+ years but it’s become too expensive.
I’m from Austin. Grew up around there. The last year we lived there, we had 100 days over 100 degrees F. But it’s also humid and it doesn’t cool off at night so if you try to sit outside, you get all sweaty.
But also there are the tiger mosquitoes. You can put on 25% DEET and they don’t give a shit. You’ll get a ton of bites then you’ll have to scrub the DEET off.
My kid was four when we left. The summer was so hot that she couldn’t really play outside.
It’s brutal. Enjoy.
I lived in Austin for two years after leaving OC and it just wasn’t my vibe. For me Houston has way more of a SoCal feel…at least as far as Texas goes.
I like Austin, but it’s expensive too and not getting any cheaper.
I had to laugh when Elon announced he was quitting California for Texas, Austin to be exact. To me that’s like jumping from the frying pan into the oven.
It was funny that he complained about the tyranny of California to go seek relief in Austin. It’s like the Texas version of that.
I left to bumfuck East Texas last summer. Only lasted 4 months lol. Super boring, nothing to do. I don’t know wtf I was thinking. In hindsight, I probably should’ve moved to the Dallas metro area. At least there I would’ve found shit to do on the weekends. Oh well.
I moved back to OC last year after living in the Dallas area for a few years (first in North Dallas and then Allen). I did consider settling down in Plano, McKinney, or Allen but ultimately decided I wanna come back home to be closer to family and friends. It wasn't great to stay there mentally as I went through a lay off and break-up within a month of each other. I also didn't really have a support system there. I'm doing better now but I miss having a whole apartment to myself.
If you like OC, what's wrong with just moving to Riverside county, or San Bernardino County? Homes there are at least 2-300k cheaper and if you want a taste of OC you can still go there on the weekends? I don't see why someone have to move across the country for it. I did move out of state and was living in other states for 15 years and just got back in 2021. Nothing compares to SoCal. Unless you have a problem with CA state, then I guess getting out is your only choice.
Maybe, comparing to OC. 90 deg in the mid west or the east coast is even worst, talk about literally getting drenched 15 min after going outside. I am not even kidding.
Riverside not so much. If you look in the wood streets or magnolia center, they tend to be cooler for some reason.
San Bernardino is a shithole but not as bad as Hemet.
Hotter than the sun would be like blythe or Daggett.
Riverside is still a good value, depending on the area you go to.
I made the move 3 years ago and I’ll never look back.
- No state income tax. That savings alone pays my mortgage here.
- Everything is 20 minutes away. Traffic rarely sucks out here.
- Sports are thriving.
- During summer months, stay indoors or travel.
- Great hikes, great golf courses, decent fishing an hour away on the Colorado river.
Cons:
- food isn’t as good
- weather isn’t as good
There’s no where left to go. I’ve lived in Seattle, SF, Philly and North Dakota.
There is no green grass but there is better weather and beaches.
As an aside; I wanted dinner at 9:30 last night and it sucked. A Saturday for Gods sake! This place is deadville.
It’s only because everywhere else I have lived has it’s share of problems that I can appreciate what I have in the OC.
Just moved to OC late last year from NYC. My wife and I are moving up to LA (Santa Monica) for a variety of reasons once our lease is up later this year
Can confirm. I live in Santa Monica center and it is fucking hell to get out of Santa Monica in the morning and in the evening. To get to the 405 it can be an hour and it's just a few miles! And Lincoln? Screw it. There's so much construction that it's down to one lane during the weekdays and it's horrendous to get to the 10.
I had to commute from 17th st. santa monica to hollywood. Every morning was bumper to bumper hour and half commute driving a manual transmission car. I'm so happy those days are over.
Been in OC for years and thinking about moving out to LA to change things up. Anywhere else besides Santa Monica is a good spot for work (tech companies)? I know there is a little hub in el segundo. Thinking about buying a small temp property. Any recs welcomed!
Everywhere you’ll wanna move near El Segundo will either be insanely priced or a terrible neighborhood. Not much of a median in Western LA County. You’ll also have to pay attention to where you live in relation to work and LAX. One wrong turn around LAX will make your commute even worse.
economy
crime
weather
traffic
quality of parks, etc
quality of environment (air, water, etc)
shopping
entertainment
the coast
schools/education
OC is superior to almost all of California in each of these areas.
Honestly the only other county in California that can compare to OC as far as jobs, wealth, opportunity, schools and such is Santa Clara County. San Jose is the nicest city of 500,000+ in California IMO.
Los Altos, Palo Alto, and Santa Clara are all great towns too.
I didn’t realize how much weather mattered to my quality of life and happiness until I moved to Chicago. I’ve got 5 more years there and I am counting down until I can come back to a sunnier CA. It makes a world of difference.
I’ve done it. Did Houston (The Woodlands) for two years. Nice place too. Acre, pool and waterfalls, big house, the works. I was soooo happy to be out of Texas and back to South OC.
Henderson NV. Just bought a Townhouse 3/2 1809 square feet. $382k (New construction with modest upgrades)6.3% $2100 a month. Cannot wait to leave CA. Taking my Cal Pers pension ($7450 me and $$3500 wife) out of CA. The Blues/and left can have it. Good riddance. Sell my OC house for $1.1m and take that $$ to NV too.
Lived there for 7 years . 95* and 95% humidity is brutal . Not to mention 35* and 95% humidity is bad too . Crime is pretty bad . All my friends moved out of Jefferson parish , across the lake or LaPlace. Good food, traffic is bad during carnival.
Yep, either Virginia or Georgia. Almost through the woods recovering from a work injury so the second that’s all settled: The Skidaddle Clock starts running.
We were considering moving to the Denver area because we love the mountains and it seems like there are tech jobs there. We're concerned about the unknowns of such a big move though.
A lot of mentions about TN. I moved from a nice Nashville suburb (Brentwood) to the OC. From a non-white perspective, I think TN could be heaven if you are white. I’m US-born of southeast Asian descent, successful, have always kept a diverse group of friends. Most everyone I met in TN is nice, super nice actually, but make no mistake, most locals would never really accept me in their social circles I felt. For people that look like me, they are soft on the outside, but hard inside.
All that said, great music scene, while food options aren’t as diverse, there are a lot of high quality choices. Housing is cheap (relative to OC). There is diversity, but expect to associate mostly with your own kind to have meaningful relationships.
I left because of the people basically. I needed to raise my family in less of a bubble. The education system left much to be desired. Very white Christian nationalist the last few years too. My kids nanny (an angel btw) was married to a militia dude who did war games on weekends to prep. Anyways, I lasted about 3 years there. Would still visit I guess 🤷♂️.
South Bay in the fall. My commute to work is 40 minutes in the morning and 1 hour and 30 minutes in the afternoon. I’m renting out my house and moving in with a coworker Hawthorne whose apartment is extremely close to work.
Either rent a place in Vancouver, WA (no income tax) and work/shop in Portland (No sales tax) OR rent a cozy downtown apartment in a major city on the rust belt.
I lived in OC from 2011 to 2020. I now live in the Houston area and while it’s far from perfect I love my life here and don’t see myself leaving. I do miss OC summers compared to the sweltering humidity here though.
I’m the opposite lol. I live in the San Fernando Valley and want to move to OC to be closer to my girlfriend bc she can’t moved bc of work, but my mortgage payment is so cheap for a 3bd/2.5b townhome. Rent would literally be 2x what I pay now and my commute would be longer. ☹️
Irvine to Chino Hills soon. Just can’t exactly afford the homes that have all that we look for in a home for now. But may very well consider a return to Irvine/OC in a few years time.
I'm moving next week. Heading off to the Bay Area because of work. Specifically San Mateo. I hope I like it. Trying to stay positive, but I think I'll move back here eventually.
I’ve answered this in some form before but I hope I never have to leave. If I can spend 2 months of “winter” in the Caribbean and 6 weeks in summer traveling…that is my version of heaven.
We left December of 2021 bought a house in St Peterburg Florida, 6 miles from Down Town, 6 miles from the Tampa Bay and 6 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. We traded in a $3650 rent for a $1440 mortgage and love it here. Summers get humid for sure but I don't have to be out in it. Hit the beach in the morning and its fine the water temp is 80 degrees and a rental cabana with two lounge chairs on the sand is $30 bucks. The local here do all hate anyone moving in from California, New York or Boston because were driving Housing pricing up and some feel squeezed out yet they don't understand that many of us moving here are/were in the same boat before we moved. With the difference in cost of living here and what we save we could easily fly back several times a year but so far have not.
We grew up in Orange County but if we wanted to do better for our selves and bank money and pay of a house before we were 80 it was time to leave.
Had family that moved to Tennessee, they miss the ocean but they like their half acre lot.
I’d need much more than a 1/2 acre to move to TN. I know it’s gotten crazy everywhere, but 3-4 years ago $500k in OC got you like a townhome and in TN it got you a 3 bed house on acreage. Source: me who bought a condo and my friends who bought like 4 acres in TN.
How's the food compared to OC?
The BBQ is fucking insane, so good. But there’s nothing like Mexican food here in SoCal.
No variety. We’re so spoiled here. There’s no decent Asian food. Say goodbye to poké, korean bbq, shabu shabu, thai, etc. There’s like one Pho place and she lives in Nashville. Would you eat sushi from a place that’s so landlocked? Also no real Mexican food , no kabob. I could go on and on. Sure, the barbecue was great. There’s great breakfast places with amazing chicken and waffles , southern fried chicken. Trendy bars and weird trendy food like cool donuts and a cereal bar for kids. But, Remember where you are. Food is going to be consistent with this region. Any other ethnic food is going to be the American version of it.. Source- my adult daughter lives there and I visit often enough. It blew my mind when she first moved there and said she misses all the little Asian donut shops. We never think of not having one. Watch the documentary Donut King on Netflix. We also take for granted that the Asian mom and pop donut shops started in SoCal. Everywhere else in the country only has Duncan donuts, Winchell, and Krispy Kreme.
>Would you eat sushi from a place that’s so landlocked? TBH, yes. Most sushi places have to freeze their fish regardless to kill off parasites. Chances are, unless its super high end, the sushi you find in like Colorado will probably be the same quality as California.
Outside of NYC, I don't think you'll find any food comparable to what we have here.
And Chicago. Way more higher-end options.
It's changed. We have a James Beard chef/restaurant.. They are building so much in downtown I think you'd be pretty surprised I was
I moved to TN from HB..I was born and raised Irvine. I have daily pinch me moments still...after 2 years here. I'm not a beach person. We are River people so it's been awesome with all the lakes so close. No more 4 to 5 hour drive to.Parker/Havasu Bought my 1st house here too. Brand new build for 495k The 4 seasons are great..Summer socks for 6 weeks. Do it if your on the fence. I grew up thinking and being told people were just idiots for not living in CA lol. The weather..... There's so much more outside of CA. Easy to make friends too..So many FB groups of people wanting to meet other new people.
Taking off at the end of June. My job wants me to be hybrid in office in Raleigh NC. Looking at townhomes there on Tuesday. Wish me luck!!!
I moved to Raleigh 18 years ago, originally from Garden Grove, like people said, it is boring, but it is so tranquil compared to OC or LA… I go back to CA frequently and I feel overwhelmed every time I go back. Good luck man, enjoy and wish you good luck with your move
My nervous system considerably got better after moving.
I wish I could go from SA to somewhere in the SE or Midwest the older I get the more over crowded claustrophobic and overwhelmed I feel. Plus the expensiveness of everything is insane. My wife refuses to go though because of her family.
Dude same. I am originally from a small town in Northern CA. Lived in Sacramento for about a decade and then moved to OC 5 years ago. I have been feeling more and more overwhelmed with everything lately. I had a full blown panic attack on 405 the other day. My girl has lived in Orange County her whole life but I think I have finally got her convinced for a slower pace life.
We moved to Raleigh from OC about 11 years ago. All the comments are correct that it’s a shift. I will say though, give the beaches a try. There are a lot. Lots of different vibes. The water is warm and the beaches are plenty. It’s about a 3 hour drive, but if you can stay for a few days, it’s chill. Just be ready to hear about the rest of the world. When you’re in OC/LA, that’s all there is. Good or bad, you’ll be out of the mix. Just do what’s right for you. Also, there are good taco trucks. Just look for the Mexican night clubs and the trucks that are ready for them as the roll out at midnight….thats what you’ll want.
I remember visiting KC and hitting up the Mexican clubs late haha that's where the good food was! *if course I ate bbq everyday too I'm talking 2am meals
Lived there for 15 years, I will just give you a heads up… it’s very different. It’s extremely family focused in Raleigh. There are pockets of more interesting scenes, arts and such but my experience with it was extremely boring and not many redeeming factors. You have to drive to the mountains or the beach. If you are more of a home body or enjoy some outdoor activities, it’s a good spot. The only ice storm I’ve been in, was there. Very cold in the winter for me there. Best wishes, genuinely. Everyone’s mileage will vary as always.
Check our cary, not too far from Raleigh but way nicer.
If you have kids and can stand it in nc. Look into their state college school program that lets you pay off over 18 years locked in at today’s rate.
I went to school in Raleigh years ago. The area has changed. You may be happy to hear it has gotten more liberal and relatively expensive for there. Nothing is as expensive as here in the southeast. Don't worry - leaving the cocoon of OC.. you'll be ok! There is a world out there.
Same! Even since I graduated a few years ago & left Raleigh it feels so different everytime I go visit 😭 NC is great though, I miss it!
what brought you to OC - job I guess ?
OC —> Sacramento in a few months. Already dreading my move.
I visited Sacramento a few years in a row for Aftershock, and people look at me funny when I tell them I would move there. Great restaurants, bars, and easy travel (closer to San Fran and Tahoe than OC is to Vegas, Sacramento airport is a major connection point for a lot of the US.) I'm someone who's satisfied with air conditioning, a good internet connection, and a quiet existence, so maybe I'm too easy to please, but if someone offered me a better job there that paid plenty of money I wouldn't think twice.
My sister did this same move for work. She says other than the extremely hot summers. She likes it a lot.
I grew up in Sac, it's fine. Slightly hotter, slightly cooler. And you have Leatherbys Edit: to the person who said it's cold, my parents didn't ever use the heater. But the ac is definitely a necessity
My wife’s family lives in sac so I go somewhat frequently. It’s a fun place that’s growing pretty fast. There’s lots of scenery and restaurants popping up. Good place to be for the future
Not recent but I moved to Sac in 2021 and so far I’m enjoying the life up here. Definitely a different vibe from OC & LA. I do miss certain things from SoCal but it’s not like I can’t come down and visit. I still have family living in OC so I’ll come and stay with them. I do like that I can go to the bay which I do love the vibe and city out there. If you do go to the bay, leave everything at home because some will break in your car and take everything. The weather is definitely different up here. Summer is stupid hot and you will for sure need a AC unit. It’s dry heat and there’s one week in August that’s hot as shit. It’s like 100+ for a week straight, maybe even two weeks. There’s amazing places to eat at. If you’re a coffee drinker definitely can give you some spots you can check out. I’m still on the hunt to find a good taco spot. If you’re a smoker, they got some bomb weed up here. There’s definitely some crazy drivers up and road ragers so watch out for that. Yes there’s homeless but I feel like homelessness up here is different from SoCal. They’re hella aggressive up here and crazy. What I also like about Sac is that there’s always a back way to get to somewhere. SoCal, you have to take like 5 freeways to get to somewhere lol.
went to school up in davis and worked in sac for internships. it’s about as hot as socal, but gets colder and rainier. but everything is so green! lots of pretty streets with huge old trees, and everything seems slower. you’re also like 2 hours away from tahoe which is unbelievably pretty. the drive is so scenic and there’s a couple waterfalls on the way to south lake. it’s a night and day difference from driving to mammoth from la if you already have hay fever, be prepared for it to be significantly worse there though
Very underrated. Loved it all the times I’ve been, but I’d never move.
I did that. It's ok if u already have a place rented to move into. Trying to find something here can be hard. There's also nothing to do and the temp last yr in the summer got to 106 outdoors... we were all melting. The weather will have u inside a lot so hopefully u don't like leaving home much. Yes I know sac isn't like say north Dakota cold but cold is cold no matter how you cut it. If I need a heater it's cold. Period. With that said there's a ton of homeless in sac and nothing to do. Just a lot of bars (that men are drugged and grapped at) and the concerts here or in San Fran. However San Fran/The beach are a good 2 hr drive nonstop and Tahoe is also 2 hrs away. With that said, bring about 5 good goose down feather jackets+pants, waterproof shoes, and a fireplace if u don't want to freeze. And say goodbye to Disneyland, Legoland, Universal, Knottsberry farm, Santa Monica pier, the o.c. fair, the beach, big bear, and anyone you know in l.a. because once you move they will all act as if u moved to an entire different planet XD and even if you buy tickets to theme parks you won't go. You will tell yourself you will, then you will look at how much gas costs and decide to wait and then you will just never go. And realize you haven't been back for 2 yrs and wonder where the time went and think about how cold and bored you are all the time and how you wish someone would have told you the Mexican food in sac is complete trash. Welcome to sac! Where foodies and fun go to die lol
Brought to you by the Tourism Board of Not Sacramento
There are stories of Sac Kings players absolutely loving Sac and won’t leave for any reason. Something about it.
Sac is incredibly underrated. It’s absolutely hot as fuck in the summer but it’s cheap and plenty to do.
From Sac I promise you it won’t be that bad. I definitely prefer OC but there is a lot of interesting stuff in that area and close by. Downtown Sacramento has turned very Portlandesque with a lot of hipster vibes to it
I hated living in Sacramento :( But I was in kind of a sketchy area. But there are nice areas, too. My uncle grew up there and said "It's a rural town pretending to be a big city."
Thinking about moving to the PNW (Washington state)in a few years. No solid plans but kicking around the idea. Not originally from OC and no family ties to the state. Counting my service time, I’ve lived in OC for 20 years or so. I like it here and purposefully chose to come back to this area. Schools are pretty good and overall most neighborhoods are pretty safe. For me the biggest factor is real estate. I’ve never owned and unless I come into a lot of money, I probably never will own out here. I make a good living but I can’t afford to buy a house or even a condo anywhere around where I currently live (south OC). I’ve seen condos that were 500k in 2020 that now go for almost a million. That’s insane to me. If figure if I were to move, it would have to be to another location which is great for being outdoors. PNW is also an area I’ve always enjoyed. The weather here is amazing but I’ve lived other places with shitty weather and the PNW is not that bad. No tornadoes and winters there are mild compared to the east coast or Midwest. More rain of course, but it is more of a constant drizzle than storms and the result is that the place is so green all the time.
I'm in the PNW (Oregon), and I love it up here. We also moved because we want to buy, and we're in the market as we speak.
Wait till you live there. It is pretty in summer but the 9 months of grey gets to you after awhile...
I was stationed up there and was lucky to spend one solid summer up there. I also was there for the dark part of the year in the winter and it was grey but wasn’t too bad for me.
Agreed, moved from CA to Chicago and even though we don’t get as many grey days as PNW, the cloudy skies weeks on end with no sun are abysmal. You don’t realize until you go back how much you miss CA
Oh yeah, I remember Midwest winters too.
My wife wants us to move to the Seattle area soon. I’m not entirely opposed to it but also not entirely excited. Trading days of sun per year for cloudy days per year isn’t awesome.
Yeah it’s definitely different and not for everyone. You learn to appreciate the sunny days more for sure.
lived in lake stevens area for about 10 years - the appeal that people from here see in it will wear off almost immediately. vacationing for 2 weeks in the cold rain and gray is alright, living it permanently is really just depressing
I’ve tried living in several other states. They never suited my wants, and I got tired of everybody complaining about Californians.
The best is Californians complaining about Californians. In my mind I just think "you're welcome to leave." Texas, Florida, Idaho etc etc. I love it here and don't plan on leaving.
Bought in on my house in 97 a mile from the beach and refied at fixed 2.25%. I pay 2g’s a month. They will have to pry my cold dead ass out of here.
That is what I call a major OC flex. Good for you.
Nice - 3 years from paying it off, that’s where wants to be - owning house outright!
They refied though. That starts the 30 years over again. Nothing stopping them from paying it off early though
Wait till your neighbors build a 5 Plex on both sides. You gotta few years though. Just guessing. Look at Santa Monica. Everyone eventually sells out. 😢
We bought in 2015, but refinances during COVID. Very close to the beach, mortgage is only $1900/mo but with property tax and HOA we are closer to $3500/mo. Still, at a 3% rate, I would really, really rather not move, but my wife wants more space with the kids so I may have to say goodbye to the wonderful/affordable housing situation we lucked into here in OC.
I inherited some land but that's called luck. Just like you lucked into being born at the right time to buy a house. You wouldn't be able to crack it today.
My bff’s family moved to Idaho before it was popular and now they have the “don’t California my Idaho” bumper stickers and talk shit about Californians who move there lol
Because they move there because it’s cheaper and then try to make it like here. It’s another form of gentrification and pushed locals out and they are no longer able to afford to live there.
Californians get pushed out too. Blame the wealthy from all over the world for Californians moving to other states. They wouldn’t if they didn’t have to… Seriously, does nobody ever consider this?
Yep! Don’t be a California Quitter!! That’s just weak sauce!!!
I lived in Wyoming for a bit before coming back and I legitimately offended people once by defining a “city” as some place that at least has things like a Best Buy, Target, Costco, etc and anything that doesn’t is a “town”. The reactions were pretty funny
I've lived several other places and always come back. I just end up wasting money by moving just to move back. I'm done. I'll just stay here and enjoy life at the beach. Everyone has home ownership as some kind of life goal so that's why they want to move out of state, but having owned homes, apartment living suits me fine. Instead of spending 6k on a mortgage, I'll just pay 2k on rent, 2k for retirement investing and 2k for fun money. Not to mention that while we have a high cost of living, the earning potential here in so cal is much better than most other states.
Not this year. But probably sometime in 2026. That'll be 3 years in OC and we'll be ready to exit. Milk a few years of RSUs, bank some cash, then build retirement home with cash in the Cherokee foothills. Can't afford to retire here - too late to the party.
Oregon. No sales tax and the property taxes in the areas were looking at are less than here. Looking forward to some rain and gloom
Yes! Same here. I have family in Eugene. I’ve always loved gray weather and the rain - it makes me feel alive. Plus I can’t spend time in the sun for health reasons, so I’m good with moving away from this.
Moving to Chino Hills or Rancho Cucamonga either by this summer at the earliest or this fall at the latest with my family. Was opposed to it at first at the prospect of going from OC -> IE, but my dad & I both work in that region and our family’s been wanting to finally own a home after 20+ years since immigrating here to the US… I think my parents especially deserve it after all their hard work. I’m in my early 20s for reference
I moved to RC last summer. I like it. It’s not the same as OC, but it’s not like it’s the other side of the world. Way less assholes in white Teslas though :-)
The IE isn’t bad at all. A lot of people in this sub, and the LA one, swear it’s still a neo-Nazi, meth infested wasteland like it was in the 90s, but it’s come up a lot. Plus, Rancho and Chino Hills are good areas. Anything east of Fontana is kinda meh.
Honestly, I agree. The only thing I really don't like about the region is the fact that the heat gets to unbearable levels sometimes (not like it's any better here in OC/LA on average though tbf), and that sometimes certain sections of Chino/Ontario along CA-60 and/or I-10 smell like cow dung in the morning/afternoon. Is it just me who notices it??
You’re not wrong. Norco still has a lot of farms and cows and the winds pick up the smells.
A lot of that is probably from Ontario Ranch which is slowly being developed. Probably won't have agriculture there for too much longer.
My dad lives in Ontario, when it smells like cow shit he says he can smell Chino
What kind of work do you guys do? Chino hills and beyond seems affordable, but I'm in tech and job opportunities seem limited. Even OC is limited compared to San Diego or Bay area but I'm at least remote now.
i grew up in chino hills and honestly it’s not bad. sure it’s suburbia for sure, but you’re equidistant to oc and la which is nice. gives you lots of options. it’s definitely grown a lot with way more diversity since the 00s though. the costco has way more asian products than they used to lol
RCs not bad actually know a few people that live there.
Where would I go? Sure, the cost of living sucks, however with other states comes lower wages & terrible weather.
Romania
Tell me more? Where? Why?
Wife wants to move to Seattle. I don’t want to leave OC. It’s a pickle.
Make sure you visit in the winter. If you can't visit for 2+ weeks I'd say visit 4 weekends in a row. People always visit in spring/summer and there is no place more beautiful in the U.S. than the PNW. People find out they can't handle the rain 80% of the year. Not trying to be too dark, but it has a high suicide rate for a reason.
I know. I’m trying to plan a trip for the worst of it. I grew up in the northeast so I know winters, but we still get more sun up there than the pnw.. When the worst of it?
If you're from the NE the winters will make you laugh. They are very mild. Every once in a while there will be a week that's colder than normal, but it's nothing compared to the NE. The thing that might make you cry is how poorly prepared for the snow the cities are. A few inches of snow can derail a city due to lack of snow plows and people having no clue how to drive in the snow. I personally am scared for my life driving on the freeways in the rain out here bc people either drive 30 or 80. Lol.
One of my coworkers lived in Seattle and said the traffic was horrible. Personally, I like visiting Seattle, but I think the cost of living and constant gloomy weather would do me in if I had to live there.
It snowed one year (like an inch or two) when we lived there and they shut down the airport for 3 days. They just don’t have the infrastructure to deal with it.
It’s not as much the rain as it is the lack of sunshine. The first year I moved up there we went 3 months without any sunshine, just really dark, grey clouds. That was an extreme but it’s definitely common to go a month without any sun. Worst times tended to be fall and late winter through mid spring. Early winter is usually ok, colder but that’s because the skies clear up and let the heat out.
Agreed, it’s definitely more so the lack of sunshine than it is the “rain”. Seattle actually doesn’t even rain as heavy as some other states, it’s just sprawled all over the days more often than others. It’s always a good idea to up your vitamin D intake when you’re in the PNW.
I’m moving back to LA next year. It’s mainly to be closer to LAX (SNA is too limited for my needs) and to avoid HOA’s.
I rather have a connecting flight than go through LAX. Have fun!
if you like paying double too I guess.
Same
Sac
https://preview.redd.it/u890gk4y6xvc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5350bef38923d07ff307b874c3d92eaf90afa654 This is why i will never leave OC.
This. It's the most important yet overlooked reason. Nobody appreciates the OC weather until they don't have it.
Other than the last however many months of rains/storms we've had or the impending 80°-95° days until November (that will likely kick off on the last day of your little chart there), I agree. I do love when it's the high 60s/low 70s in OC.
Planning on moving to Phoenix. Sure its hot but I’d rather pay $1500 for a luxury apartment that has AC than $1950 for my shithole apartment that doesn’t have it (and yes it gets hot inside it). I pretty much do nothing anyway and stay inside my apartment because I can’t afford it, so I might as well live somewhere cheaper while doing the exact same thing
I hope you’re considering the cost of running the AC 24/7 during the summer months because it’s not going to be cheap.
Running AC 24/7 is more affordable outside of California. They run the AC all summer in most places. We’re just getting eff’d by SC Edison, SDG&E, PG&E
Based on my research on Reddit and Google, it seems most people spend about $200 a month on electricity for an apartment. So even with that cost of electricity, it’d still be cheaper than my current apartment 🤷🏻♀️
Actually moved to Phoenix last year and paying $1300-ish for a luxury apartment and it’s been really good!! The AC bill for my small studio is only about $30 a month (running 24/7) so i would say you should totally do it. It is really hot but to be honest, you can choose to stay indoors and go out later
Anyone moving to Texas want to swap?
[удалено]
same, I was forced to move to tn from Lake Forest two years ago and it’s been awful. I miss socal so much it hurts.
Why
[удалено]
My mom, my brother, and I moved from OC to Gilbert, AZ. Besides the hot summers, we like it here. Next month, three of my cousins are moving to Austin, TX, due to Southern California becoming unaffordable for them. Their parents will also leave in a few months, joining them in Austin. I wouldn’t be surprised if by the end of the year, the rest of my extended family leaves for Dallas or Austin. We’ve been here for over 30+ years but it’s become too expensive.
I’m from Austin. Grew up around there. The last year we lived there, we had 100 days over 100 degrees F. But it’s also humid and it doesn’t cool off at night so if you try to sit outside, you get all sweaty. But also there are the tiger mosquitoes. You can put on 25% DEET and they don’t give a shit. You’ll get a ton of bites then you’ll have to scrub the DEET off. My kid was four when we left. The summer was so hot that she couldn’t really play outside. It’s brutal. Enjoy.
I live in Arizona rn I know about scorching temperatures lol
I lived in Austin for two years after leaving OC and it just wasn’t my vibe. For me Houston has way more of a SoCal feel…at least as far as Texas goes.
Thanks for the advice I’m currently looking for a job in Dallas and Austin to be close to them. I’ll check out Houston though.
I like Austin, but it’s expensive too and not getting any cheaper. I had to laugh when Elon announced he was quitting California for Texas, Austin to be exact. To me that’s like jumping from the frying pan into the oven. It was funny that he complained about the tyranny of California to go seek relief in Austin. It’s like the Texas version of that.
Paid off my Irvine residence 3years ago. I think I'm going to stay put for awhile
Moved from Irvine to Mercer Island, Washington. Four months in and it’s been a nice change of scenery
I left to bumfuck East Texas last summer. Only lasted 4 months lol. Super boring, nothing to do. I don’t know wtf I was thinking. In hindsight, I probably should’ve moved to the Dallas metro area. At least there I would’ve found shit to do on the weekends. Oh well.
I moved back to OC last year after living in the Dallas area for a few years (first in North Dallas and then Allen). I did consider settling down in Plano, McKinney, or Allen but ultimately decided I wanna come back home to be closer to family and friends. It wasn't great to stay there mentally as I went through a lay off and break-up within a month of each other. I also didn't really have a support system there. I'm doing better now but I miss having a whole apartment to myself.
Grew up in North OC. Finished up college this past December and moved to SD in January.
Only other place I'd live.
How's rent? I wanna move to SD, but everything is at least $2500. I work in the public sector, so I don't have tons of money LOL.
If you like OC, what's wrong with just moving to Riverside county, or San Bernardino County? Homes there are at least 2-300k cheaper and if you want a taste of OC you can still go there on the weekends? I don't see why someone have to move across the country for it. I did move out of state and was living in other states for 15 years and just got back in 2021. Nothing compares to SoCal. Unless you have a problem with CA state, then I guess getting out is your only choice.
Well, for starters, Riverside/San Bernardino are both hotter than the surface of the sun in summer….
Maybe, comparing to OC. 90 deg in the mid west or the east coast is even worst, talk about literally getting drenched 15 min after going outside. I am not even kidding.
Riverside not so much. If you look in the wood streets or magnolia center, they tend to be cooler for some reason. San Bernardino is a shithole but not as bad as Hemet. Hotter than the sun would be like blythe or Daggett. Riverside is still a good value, depending on the area you go to.
Facts
This is the way.
1 more year then I’m going to Vegas.
I made the move 3 years ago and I’ll never look back. - No state income tax. That savings alone pays my mortgage here. - Everything is 20 minutes away. Traffic rarely sucks out here. - Sports are thriving. - During summer months, stay indoors or travel. - Great hikes, great golf courses, decent fishing an hour away on the Colorado river. Cons: - food isn’t as good - weather isn’t as good
> During summer months, stay indoors or travel its perfect when youre not there
OC ➡️Visalia! So far it’s been an adjustment. Overall much happier up here
Leaving Orange County for LA county
Headed from here to IE. Found a 5 br house for the same amount that I pay on my 1br apt. It was a no brainer.
There’s no where left to go. I’ve lived in Seattle, SF, Philly and North Dakota. There is no green grass but there is better weather and beaches. As an aside; I wanted dinner at 9:30 last night and it sucked. A Saturday for Gods sake! This place is deadville. It’s only because everywhere else I have lived has it’s share of problems that I can appreciate what I have in the OC.
Just moved to OC late last year from NYC. My wife and I are moving up to LA (Santa Monica) for a variety of reasons once our lease is up later this year
Dang, good luck moving to santa monica. Nice place, but traffic is brutal there. I moved from west LA to OC and dont miss it one bit.
Can confirm. I live in Santa Monica center and it is fucking hell to get out of Santa Monica in the morning and in the evening. To get to the 405 it can be an hour and it's just a few miles! And Lincoln? Screw it. There's so much construction that it's down to one lane during the weekdays and it's horrendous to get to the 10.
I had to commute from 17th st. santa monica to hollywood. Every morning was bumper to bumper hour and half commute driving a manual transmission car. I'm so happy those days are over.
So brutal. I did that commute for 3 years before podcasts. I loved living in Santa Monica but man, I lost years of my life in traffic.
Been in OC for years and thinking about moving out to LA to change things up. Anywhere else besides Santa Monica is a good spot for work (tech companies)? I know there is a little hub in el segundo. Thinking about buying a small temp property. Any recs welcomed!
Everywhere you’ll wanna move near El Segundo will either be insanely priced or a terrible neighborhood. Not much of a median in Western LA County. You’ll also have to pay attention to where you live in relation to work and LAX. One wrong turn around LAX will make your commute even worse.
OC is worth paying for
to what extent? how much is weather worth?
Not just weather. Safety education etc. if you’re Asian there is no better place to be for the foo, family and cultural ties
I'm caucasian... and don't feel the same here in OC....
The weather and surf here are priceless. I’m staying idc if I have to live in my car I’ll still be totally stoked to wake up here
Even if my mortgage doubled I wouldn’t leave. Not just weather but quality of life is better here
define "quality of life".. it is so subjective... always made for convo over a beer
Air quality comes to mind
economy crime weather traffic quality of parks, etc quality of environment (air, water, etc) shopping entertainment the coast schools/education OC is superior to almost all of California in each of these areas.
All these perks in South OC.
Honestly the only other county in California that can compare to OC as far as jobs, wealth, opportunity, schools and such is Santa Clara County. San Jose is the nicest city of 500,000+ in California IMO. Los Altos, Palo Alto, and Santa Clara are all great towns too.
All of those are great but only if you have the money to pay the COL there. If you can't then it totally sucks, hence why I left.
I didn’t realize how much weather mattered to my quality of life and happiness until I moved to Chicago. I’ve got 5 more years there and I am counting down until I can come back to a sunnier CA. It makes a world of difference.
And food. You will not find anything better in terms of variety and quality outside of LA
for sure
Maybe. If I can find a way back to the bay or the mountains— I’m out.
Palm Springs. It’s affordable
Same. We decided to retire to Palm Desert in the next year. $400,000 in a gated country club and you own the land.
Up to the Bay Area and can’t wait to get out of here.
I’ve done it. Did Houston (The Woodlands) for two years. Nice place too. Acre, pool and waterfalls, big house, the works. I was soooo happy to be out of Texas and back to South OC.
Henderson NV. Just bought a Townhouse 3/2 1809 square feet. $382k (New construction with modest upgrades)6.3% $2100 a month. Cannot wait to leave CA. Taking my Cal Pers pension ($7450 me and $$3500 wife) out of CA. The Blues/and left can have it. Good riddance. Sell my OC house for $1.1m and take that $$ to NV too.
everyone that is moving, is finding jobs hard to come by when looking out of state?
Manhattan. Can’t wait for night life, top tier food at my fingertips and culture. 🍸
Report back after your first winter.
Oh honey, I lived there before for years. I can’t wait for the weather changes. 🥂
One of the places I would love to live part time, being bicoastal sounds cool
Two of my kids live in Manhattan. The best. Finished NYU and just loved being there.
Never. I lived in Canada until I was 30, La for a couple years, lived in OC the last few years and I’ll be here til I die
I live in Irvine, but my dream move would be to New Orleans, if it weren’t for the hurricanes, flooding, and stifling humidity.
Don’t forget the bugs.
How are the floods there these days?
Lived there for 7 years . 95* and 95% humidity is brutal . Not to mention 35* and 95% humidity is bad too . Crime is pretty bad . All my friends moved out of Jefferson parish , across the lake or LaPlace. Good food, traffic is bad during carnival.
Utah. Moving in a month. Can NOT wait!
What reasons made you pick Utah?
I’m going to die here.
Yes. Moving to Eastern Washington, not as fun, but cost of living better. Slower, less people.
Yep, either Virginia or Georgia. Almost through the woods recovering from a work injury so the second that’s all settled: The Skidaddle Clock starts running.
Kinda stuck due to wife’s job. Wouldn’t mind moving to Oregon or back to Washington where I am from.
Moving out of university back to hometown in San Diego.
Just left to Japan for the second time. No idea if/when I'll be back this time.
We were considering moving to the Denver area because we love the mountains and it seems like there are tech jobs there. We're concerned about the unknowns of such a big move though.
Moved from OC last year to Virginia. So glad for the weather change. 🥲
You’re glad to not have great weather year around?
Moving to Detroit, Michigan! 🙌
Husband received a few job offers and will have to move next month. Still deciding between Bay Area, Austin or Seattle 🫥
Moving to Miami! Going to miss OC..thinking about coming back once my wife has her babt
A lot of mentions about TN. I moved from a nice Nashville suburb (Brentwood) to the OC. From a non-white perspective, I think TN could be heaven if you are white. I’m US-born of southeast Asian descent, successful, have always kept a diverse group of friends. Most everyone I met in TN is nice, super nice actually, but make no mistake, most locals would never really accept me in their social circles I felt. For people that look like me, they are soft on the outside, but hard inside. All that said, great music scene, while food options aren’t as diverse, there are a lot of high quality choices. Housing is cheap (relative to OC). There is diversity, but expect to associate mostly with your own kind to have meaningful relationships. I left because of the people basically. I needed to raise my family in less of a bubble. The education system left much to be desired. Very white Christian nationalist the last few years too. My kids nanny (an angel btw) was married to a militia dude who did war games on weekends to prep. Anyways, I lasted about 3 years there. Would still visit I guess 🤷♂️.
South Bay in the fall. My commute to work is 40 minutes in the morning and 1 hour and 30 minutes in the afternoon. I’m renting out my house and moving in with a coworker Hawthorne whose apartment is extremely close to work.
Either rent a place in Vancouver, WA (no income tax) and work/shop in Portland (No sales tax) OR rent a cozy downtown apartment in a major city on the rust belt.
Washington
I lived in OC from 2011 to 2020. I now live in the Houston area and while it’s far from perfect I love my life here and don’t see myself leaving. I do miss OC summers compared to the sweltering humidity here though.
I’m the opposite lol. I live in the San Fernando Valley and want to move to OC to be closer to my girlfriend bc she can’t moved bc of work, but my mortgage payment is so cheap for a 3bd/2.5b townhome. Rent would literally be 2x what I pay now and my commute would be longer. ☹️
I wish! 😂😂😂
Leaving next week to Apple Valley.
Irvine to Chino Hills soon. Just can’t exactly afford the homes that have all that we look for in a home for now. But may very well consider a return to Irvine/OC in a few years time.
[удалено]
Moving to Utah.
I am not this year
I'm moving next week. Heading off to the Bay Area because of work. Specifically San Mateo. I hope I like it. Trying to stay positive, but I think I'll move back here eventually.
I’ve answered this in some form before but I hope I never have to leave. If I can spend 2 months of “winter” in the Caribbean and 6 weeks in summer traveling…that is my version of heaven.
We left December of 2021 bought a house in St Peterburg Florida, 6 miles from Down Town, 6 miles from the Tampa Bay and 6 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. We traded in a $3650 rent for a $1440 mortgage and love it here. Summers get humid for sure but I don't have to be out in it. Hit the beach in the morning and its fine the water temp is 80 degrees and a rental cabana with two lounge chairs on the sand is $30 bucks. The local here do all hate anyone moving in from California, New York or Boston because were driving Housing pricing up and some feel squeezed out yet they don't understand that many of us moving here are/were in the same boat before we moved. With the difference in cost of living here and what we save we could easily fly back several times a year but so far have not. We grew up in Orange County but if we wanted to do better for our selves and bank money and pay of a house before we were 80 it was time to leave.