It’s 3rd world in many places. Los Angeles Downtown is absolutely 3rd world. Most of the San Fernando valley, which is part of Los Angeles and has 2 million residents is very much Mexico. I don’t see America in those places.
Small town California is ,I’m sure , quite nice. But any small town in America is good, just about.
I live here. I work here. I will not retire here. I’m going back to my small town. Either the one in Ohio, or Michigan.