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While you’re looking around, keep this in mind: In Texas and many other Southern states, a $50,000 job will get you the same buying power, take home pay after taxes and standard of living as a $100-150,000 job in California.

I'm sorry, but I have to correct you on that. I've lived in both states. I don't know where you get your data and feel free to provide it. Here's mine: Unless one live's in one of the huge population areas along the coast, house prices are comparable to Texas. At least now - that prices have dropped here and remained stable there over the last 7 years. And our property taxes are capped at 1% - we paid over 3% in Corpus, rising every year. All in all, we paid more in taxes in Texas than in California (because of the confiscatory property taxes). Add hurricane insurance and we paid more to live in Texas, while making substantially less. The myth about states without income tax is just that - they more than make up for it in property taxes. I was sadly shocked when we moved there! At least, TX and FL are that way. NV and Alaska don't, so those are tax-friendly states.

I've looked at KY extensively and I buy what you're saying there;) The property taxes are reasonable and the state income tax is about 2/3rds of what CA's is. I'm more than willing to take a lesser standard of living for the right area, don't get me wrong. It's not all about money! Thinking about Oklahoma, because they've been solidly conservative in most past elections and have managed to pass a solid anti-illegal bill that hasn't been bashed in the courts. And an anti-Sharia law bill as well. Have no idea how they get away with it while other states get reamed. Still hot, tornados and the insurance from that to deal with, but I like their politics enough to deal with it all.

Thanks for the idea. There are some nice, inexpensive states out there - but don't have the jobs to go with it either;) I think that Texas booming also means politicians have their hands out too. Sad to say. Any power plants planned in the pretty area going towards the Arkansas border, that you know of?

My source was doing the research on moving my parents out here.

1. I begin to see one of your problems. You lived in Corpus. I don’t, I live in Dallas. My parents were thinking about Austin. In neither place do you need to pay for hurricane insurance.
2. The parents’ house in CA is a small place, but it’d sell for about $750K. A nice place here in the Dallas or Austin area of comparable quality, neighborhood and size? $150-200K, and it would be on a larger lot.
3. The property tax would be higher - but all the other state taxes would be lower or non-existent. We ran the numbers for them and they would save almost $100K per year in taxes, “fees” and ‘service charges’ alone. Case in point - registering their cars cost over $1000 per every two years. Texas would charge them $172 every year.
4. Medical care in Texas costs less and is of higher quality. This was not a trivial concern at the time (mom had cancer) and both of them were not getting any younger. How much cheaper was it? Well, it was cheaper for her to get on a plane, fly to Texas, stay in a good hotel, get treatment at M.D. Anderson and fly back to CA when done than it was to get the same treatment at any SoCal cancer center. This means you get to keep more of your money.
5. Home insurance rates are cheaper here for the same coverage. Mom’s jaw hit the floor when she was running her own numbers.
6. CA pays $1-2 more per gallon of fuel as opposed to Texas. If you drive a lot, that adds up in a hurry.

It just goes on and on and on from there. If you’re a renter the disparity in buying power is even worse.