Don't get discouraged. If you can afford California, then you can afford the Hill Country. Just most of us can't afford as much of the Hill Country as we'd like.
I live a pretty nice, very conservative area of Southern California. Yes, San Diego, Orange County and Temecula Valley are conservative. I'm in Temecula an hour from San Diego, LA or Orange County, and the housing-comparatively speaking-is reasonable. The weather's nice, low crime, very light smog, and a high quality of life surrounded by beautiful vineyards.