It is generally believed that California is mucho expensive to live in.

[raccoon]

I'm sure that's true of the LA and the San Francisco area, but it that true
of everywhere? Even small towns and towns in northern California?

[blowback]

1. I've been looking into a move from OK to CA

Here's a good article with options for both Northern and Southern California.

http://seniors.lovetoknow.com/Affordable_Places_to_Retire_in_California

[MrModerate]

2. The interior of the state is a bit more affordable . . . but only a bit.

It's primarily housing that's the big hit. Most grocery basket items are only a bit more than other places in the US (and better if you're talking things that are grown in CA), but housing and the knock-on effects make that component of living a bit dear.

[KamaAina]

7. And much of it is as Red as the places from which people would be fleeing

the San Joaquin Valley (Fresno, Bakersfield) in particular. The coast north of the Bay Area, however, is both affordable and Blue, though it does tend to rain more the farther north you get.

[MrModerate]

9. Quite so. Fresno is the home base of FreeRepublic. n/t

[KamaAina]

10. And its police chief fancies having special ringtones for non-white city councilmembers.

An Asian-sounding "Da da da da da da da da" for a Hmong one, and -- get this -- "Mammy's Little Baby Loves Shortnin' Bread" for an African American one!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=141x39585

[The Genealogist]

3. I'm beginning to think it is time for me to research living in California

I have lived most of my life in the Missouri Ozarks. This area has always been conservative, but it and the state itself are moving further and further to the right. I'm sure that California is no utopia, but I doubt it is worse than here.

I have only been to California once, to the Bay Area. I do have some family out there, in the LA area. Never met most of them.

I do well to scrape by financially here in Missouri. During a six year residency in Florida, I had to scrape even harder. My fear would be that I just couldn't afford to live in California. If there is someplace that I could afford and that would also be socially accepting of my partner of over 20 years as a gay men, I'd seriously like to know where it is. May start researching it as life here seems to be growing quite bleak.

[Polly Hennessey]

4. I live in a small town

in the Sierra Nevada Foothills. I am one hour from
Lake Tahoe; 45 minutes from Sacramento; and, two hours from San Francisco. It is heaven. I can see the Sierra Nevada Mountains from my backyard. We are just below the snowline. We have 5 acres with two pastures. Our house is a two-story charmer. We paid 565k for the whole "Shabang".
We moved here from Las Vegas. California is expensive if you live in Los Angeles; San Francisco; San Diego; Orange County; or San Barbara. I, personally, believe that California is the best place in the United States. Color me happy. Now with the "trump" presidency one of the safest places to be.

[JayhawkSD]

5. Gasoline is expensive statewide. nt

[Zorro]

6. Food prices are significantly lower in California than in Florida

It's all relative regarding housing costs. $300K away from the coasts is not abnormal.

[KamaAina]

8. I hadn't even considered this: a wave of refugees from Trumpistan!

We're already pretty crowded, but as has been mentioned, our vast spaces contain many, many small towns that could stand to be revitalized.

[mackerel]

11. Homes and rent in Lodi (30 min south of Sac) are very high

but Stockton (15 min south of Lodi) is much better priced. A lot of people I know move to North Stockton because the housing prices are better than Lodi but it still part of the Lodi Unified School District.

[melody]

12. There are lots of affordable areas in California.

Get an hour away from big cities. Look for rural regions away from closely jobs. You'll have to drive a little, but California can be very affordable.

[CountAllVotes]

13. Left the big city years ago

Moved north and it is cheaper. However, the house I managed to buy in 2001 is now worth 3-4X the price paid for it. If I wanted to move south (for whatever reason), I am stuck as you can't buy much of anything in many parts of California for less than $250,000.

If you do find something, you'll have a fixer upper and then some most likely.

Never thought I'd see the day when a trashed out fixer upper of a house (which is what I have) would be worth so much but also worth so little if you care to move elsewhere in the state.

[jeffreyi]

14. I live in a sparsely populated county in NE California

and I can live like a Raja on my retirement income. Property here is inexpensive compared to the rest of the state. However this part of the state is very red.