patsy

We are a middle class family of 5 who has always lived in the Midwest. Husband and I are in our early 30's. I would describe us as having traditional values (kind of like the TV shows from the 50's), I stay at home with 3 small kids, husband and I are both college grads, most of our social life centers around neighbors, family and church. Our only hobby is golfing and we do sing in the church choir.

My husband's company has decided to expand to California and they're offering him a sales job (he'd be the first) anywhere in California he chooses. It sounds great to us but really not sure which areas to consider. We are in the preliminary researching stage and would like to select perhaps 4 areas to consider, then come out for a week and visit the areas we've considered. I don't know which areas to even begin to consider....North, South, East or West. Can anyone familiar with California offer us ideas of regions we might want to consider. We will most likely rent a home in California as opposed to purchasing. Thanks so much! Patsy

J_Correa

The first thing that came to mind when I read your post is that you are probably in for the sticker shock of your life. I hope that your husband's company is offering him an incredible raise to move to California because he will have to make a significant amount to support 5 people on one income and still be middle class.

I would look at the smaller towns in the central valley, maybe outside of Sacramento. I assume that in setting up a sales office, your husband would have to be near a population center rather than out in the sticks. The cost of living is less in the central valley than in southern California or in the Bay Area.

Spike

Wow, what an exciting and kind of scary prospect for you and your family! I think you and your family need to take a trip to California, spend at least 10 days and see what appeals to you. As J Correa states, the cost of living in California is significantly higher than the midwest, but you probably know that already. California is a very large state and the weather, housing prices, political climate, school systems, landscape, etc. vary as extremely as the difference between snow capped mountains and the desert. Pick some criteria and try to visit a few areas in the state that match. It sounds like a close community will be important to you, so I'd steer you away from the dense urban areas. Give us a little more info and perhaps we can make a better recommendation.

Suzie

I think northern Ca might be your best bet. As J above says the housing is very expensive but the central valley does offer some better deals.

There are also some small towns in Ventura county in southern CA that offer a pace and lifstyle that you may prefer. They are located along Highway 126 in a little valley that is very nice.

Good luck

DavidDJ

I agree with J Correa that the Sacramento area would be your best bet in terms of cost of living and as far as your values are concerned, Sacramento is also a better fit since it tends to be more on the conservative side as compared to some of the big cities (Los Angeles and San Jose). Sacramento is near the base of the Sierras about a 2 hour drive to Lake Tahoe. There are also plenty of golf courses in the area. Although the summers can get hot (90's), it is a dry heat. Nothing like the humidity in the midwest.

San Diego would also be a good place to look into because the people there also tend to be more on the conservative side and the cost of living as well as the coastal location are a plus. It will be more expensive than Sacramento.

In terms of income, I think that it will be very difficult, if not impossible for a family of 5 to live on one income, unless your husband will be making something in the neighborhood of $120,000/yr. or more.

patsy

Thanks so much for the quick responses!! My husband will be guaranteed $89,000 his first year. Hopefully, if all goes well it will increase some each year thereafter. Luckily, both our cars and student loans, credit cards etc. are all paid off. We really don't live too high on the hog so will try to budget accordingly so I can stay home with my kids for the next few years until the youngest gets into school. It sounds like the $89,000 won't go too far but we'd still like to try! Patsy

janis

Someplace like Sacramento would be best for you considering your income/values. $89,000 would be fine in the Sacramento area because (even tho' there are a lot of Bay area transplants that have skewed the numbers) it is still a gov't town. Being the Capital means there are thousands of state workers plus lots of local gov't entities and the Feds. The reason this is important is that a gov't middle manager makes about $65,000 per year. And they would certainly be called middle class. That income level doesn't go far in LA/SF/San Diego - but is fine in Sacramento.

J_Correa

I think you will do fine with $89K a year in the Sacamento area, esspecially if you don't have debt or an expensive lifestyle.

Parrothead

In California, housing decisions are all about compromise. The truth is you could live in any area on $89K per year, just depends on what you are willing to compromise on. You will not be able to buy a home in most major areas, only Sacramento offers you that opportunity.

Start your research on these 4 areas:
Sacramento
San Francisco Bay Area
Greater Los Angeles area
San Diego

They all have access to airports, freeways and varied housing options. Personally, I would stay away from Central California with the exception of the Sacramento area. The central part of the state has no airports, which may be necessary for a sales person Getting from the central valley to any of the urban areas above is a major, time-consuming hassle. Also, it is not the prettiest part of the state, which is why the coastal areas are the most expensive places to live.

ltt

sacramento does get pretty darn hot in the summer.
if you wanted closer to the ocean, consider la mesa outside of san diego. it is a nice community. (it can get hot occassionally in the summer too but you are only 20 minutes from the ocean.) the commute to/from san diego can be a bit of a pain during rush hour but if your husband has control over his schedule, he could work around that.

PamSF

I agree with Sacramento and its surround.Lots of families have transplanted there in search of affordable housing. There are many new communities sprouting up. Rents will still reflect the housing market in the area. Housing prices in most of California are ridiculous(greens fees only slightly less) In all honesty, it may be hard to support a family of 5 on 89K in California and live the way you probably are used to in the midwest.That sounds obscene but I think it's a realistic appraisal. Also ...the state budget has gone through enormous cuts and will still endure more. Unfortunately one of the hard hit areas is education. The state supposedly has limited class size in the primary grades but according to my teacher friends that may well take a big hit.

Thyra

I have to chime in also that Sacramento would be a safe bet. It's somewhat more conservative then other parts of california, and as stated above also, 89K won't go far in Los Angeles, my husband and I own a one bedroom condo in Hollywood and were just offered 250K for it.. all 800 sq. feet! I think with children and all of that, you definately would have a tough time of it in San Diego, Los Angeles, or Bay Area.. even Orange county is pretty high up there.
Good luck .. definately come to CA before you jump in, my parents are moved here from the mid-west 40 years ago and are STILL getting used to it... (they wouldn't go back though.. can't imagine shoveling snow again).

SAB

If you go to www.homefair.com it has many interesting calculations for people who are relocating where you can compare for cost of living between the midwest and California towns. Also gives info. re schools, crime and lots more. Might be worth a look.

patsy

Such great information!! This will all keep me quite busy! Is anyone familiar with Fullerton/Brea area in Orange County? A by chance acquaitance 2 years ago mentioned this area and how much she loved it..? Should I look into this area as well? Thanks, Patsy

Barbara

There was a long thread about the Fullerton/Brea area a few months ago. try a search. Otherwise, I agree that it's very difficult to live on that amount in San Diego. Not impossible, but not easy. To get an idea of the cost of renting a house in San Diego, look at the web site of our local paper at www.signonsandiego.com. On Saturdays and Sundays there are lots of ads.

Pumpy

I don't want to be a party pooper but $89K for a family of five in Orange County would almost put you at poverty level. I now live in the midwest but lived in Cost Mesa (Orange County) for several years. If I were ever to move back to CA, I would look North and like several people above would highly consider Sacramento area. Cost of living is much better and your reasonably close (90 miles or so) from San Francisco or Lake Tahoe and Sking. While I do not dislike SoCal, I would only recommend it to single or couples w/out kids. PS: A nice house in a decent area in Orange County will easily cost $400K (probably closer to $500K or $600K). And that's a house with approx. 2,000 sq. ft.

joesorce

I would check out:

Upland/Claremont
Carlsbad
Petaluma
Thousand Oaks

mtm

I'm a Midwest transplant (Hoosier) who's been in Calif. for 17 years now. Lived in Bay Area & Santa Barbara, while going to college. If you'd like more feedback (since I'm a fellow Midwesterner who came from a traditional family) & like the other poster stated...*still* adjusting to life here. It's not the conservative vs. liberal part...as I'm pretty liberal! Instead, it's the cost of living & missing the strong seasons we had back home. Also, neighbors generally keep to themselves more (in metro areas) than they did back there. However, this varies a lot! From one neighborhood to another, it can be very different. And, one can always try to get neighbors knowing each other more, too, by having block parties, etc...altho' again, not that common out here. Lastly, perhaps you could let us know how long you see yourself staying? If this would be a short-term situation, then, your choices might be different then if you want to be here a long time. For example, if you only have one year out here, maybe go for the 'experience' of it all & pick something very *different* then home...like I did when I first came out here & went to school. Santa Barbara is so gorgeous & a terrific size! (Metro area...150,000) If you only had one year & were renting & it's not a matter of impacting finances forever, I'd look at little 'paradises' like Santa Barbara. You *must* visit it, when you're doing your state survey. It's 2 hours north of L.A....start of Central Coast California. If your husband has to fly lots & lots, it's not as goood a choice as some places though. Other top picks...being a Midwesterner & seeing lots of Calfornia, as I have? Nevada City (not too far from Sacramento, but with a small town feel, while at the same time, great culture...lots of urban transplants!) Has nice fall colors, too! Grass Valley is close by & also well-regarded for families. Within Sacramento area, more....check out Davis, where UC Davis is. Cute older homes, etc. My main complaint w/the newer regions of Sacramento are all the somewhat boring housing developments. (same applies to certain regions in Southern Calif...like Orange County.) Places like Nevada City & Davis have a real sense of a 'town' to them & nice, older architecture. I enjoy the Bay Area, but it's sooo expensive. So, again, if it was short-term...or, you're okay w/stretching a LOT for awhile...then, it's a spectacular region to live in. Offers so much...many close-by escapes (ie Monterey, Point Reyes, Napa, Gold Country, redwoods, & a bit further away...Lake Tahoe & Yosemite.) And, some towns have an old-time feel. Lastly, Southern California...besides Santa Barbara...then, a good family, area is Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village. However, this does not have older architecture...which may or may not matter to you. Hope this helps! If you'd like to share more ideas, just let me know how to email you. Thanks!

patsy

Again, thank you! We are planning to make this a permanent move...hopefully. I read an article that stated there are actually some towns (not just little pockets within the town) where the majority don't speak English. Is this possible? It states that most things including voting ballots, DMV test etc. are printed in several languages and very easy to live in California without speaking English. I attended U of Chicago and am very used to and love diversity etc. but this is quite surprising. Do I need to learn a foreign language to survive living in California? Do most residents speak several languages? Am I going to have difficulty not speaking a 2nd language? It sounds like I'd better get studying if this is the case. Patsy

Barbara

No, you do not need to learn a second language to live in California. Many official forms are printed in English on one side and Spanish on the other. Other languages are available on request.