I left in '92, for Florida. No state income tax. And while the price of housing here,doubled, it is still less than half the Golden State. I do miss the mountains, but so far, the hurricanes have bothered me less than earthquakes.

I've read a while back that in the Southeast where I live wild hogs have become bigger for huge and all the more ferocious due to some fools introducing Russian boars into our wildlife.

I loved California. The mountains, the ocean, the desert, great scenery. I lived in San Diego, a world class beauty of a city. But when I retired, I realized that if I continued to live there, my money would run out long before I did.Four types of government income tax. Real estate prices crazily high. If a new house selling where I live costs $200 K, it will cost $500 K there. I may be enamored bu I'm not stupid. And, apparently, neither are a good number of others.

You must be one of the dreamers, right?

We referred to it as -
Californicating Colorado

cool. I am very close to that age. I still think that hiding in plain sight will serve me well for the rest of my life. The government just cant find and control EVERYTHING

I first moved to Arizona in 1961 from LA. If you think you have seen changes, I have stories to tell. Since then have lived in CA from 1967 for another 20 years, then in and out of the country since. I'd love to see California go on its own and we just sit and watch Gov Moonbeam explain it.

I am 75. Never too old.

Probably just small rural towns where government isnt big enough yet. Vegas used to be much more freedom loving when I moved here in 91. Now its another california. One can see how it is collapsing little by little. There just isnt much wealth left here.

I am too old to move to south america. I have been thinking of Arizona, but they have both sales and income taxes. I am getting interested in minimalism and pretty much withdrawing from society so I dont need to make so much money and pay so much tax

I did the same. BUT, now Nevada has adopted many of the same bad things tht California had (at least southern Nevada). Time to move again I guess.

That's the damn truth. Other AZ cities have it worse with Californians taking over the city councils (Lake Havasu City for example) and trying to pass California type liberal laws. Disgusting. I live in Phoenix, but this is yet another reason I love South America.

Ironically, there's still a fairly substantial population of conservatives in the California hinterlands, but the continued abuse by left wing politicians will inevitably drive them out. After working in CA and DC I readily decided I would not retire to either coast, and settled in Oklahoma. One of my best life decisions ever.

Idiotology is an outstanding description.

I absolutely love my NY country home its the Idiots I can't stand! Lots of them move either south or west and take their idiotology with them wondering why where they went is going to the dogs.

No state tax, and feral hog hunting rom helicopters....what is not to like about Texas!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFdCP...

"idiotology" - Love it!

That's precisely what happened to Colorado, swinging it from pretty reliably red to purple.

Mrs. Animal and I are looking at houses in Alaska.

I think people do sort of self-sort, but I don't think the state boundaries are the natural dividing lines. I used to drive over the "grape vine" sometimes between LA and Bakersfield. I've been in the San Jose area and driven into Nevada from CA. That ridge of mountains feels like the dividing line.

I moved LA (having been there for 5 years) to PHX in Jan 1990. LA was becoming too overcrowded for my liking. Had to leave PHX to work in ATL in mid-1991. PHX in that 90-91 period seemed to be a very large small town with a majority having individualist and self reliant productive values.
It was a delight to live there. By the time I returned in 1999, PHX had devolved to be liberal spouting and influenced by the AZ Republic's conversion to liberalism. It had started in that direction much earlier, but it apparently took control in the mid-90s. (I knew some people who worked there in 90-91, and they all had liberal tendencies, and lacked understanding of the value of individual liberty -without the government meddling that they were attracted to- and how free markets were vital to happiness and productivity.) It was very sad to see the changes in those few years. I left again about 5 years later for health reasons.
I hope that AZ can return to its westerner self reliance.
I haven't found anything to favorably compare with PHX in 90-91 since then, and I have looked far and world-wide.

My wife and I mass-migrated from California to Nevada in 1990. Never regretted it.

Many Californians are migrating to Phoenix. If only they wouldn't bring their idiotology with them and keep trying to elect the same types of politicians who facilitated the ruination of their home state.

Had lunch with three other colleagues the other day. Over calamari and wine we discovered (3 engineers and one architect) that we are all looking at real estate outside Cal. Last night I met a nice young couple with three kids at the golf course. They've had enough and are not letting their roots sink in here (also two architects).