But with gas hitting $3.50 a gallon, for the OP who mentions budget as a consideration, options on where to live don't really include places like Santa Ynez. Sure you don't find mini-malls and traffic there, but you don't find jobs, either. Obviously California is huge, but does that really mean that the answer to the OP's question should be "come on out, there's room for everyone!"?

My main point was that all the doom-sayers warning about LA/the Bay Area/Sacramento are only talking about a small part of CA. There are MANY small towns up and down the State and if they don't need to be in a major jobs center/metro area, the choices are huge.

But the OP hasn't been back since posting this. Her only other thread is about moving to Hawaii. Now that WOULD be expensive.

So all this conjecture about jobs, etc is basically useless until she comes back and answers some of our questions.

For goodness sakes. I've been hearing all the doom and gloom since I was a child and I'm in my 50s. I still think it's a great state, with great people, and as far as states go I personally have no desire to live in any other state. What place doesn't have problems? And I'm not about to trade this weather in for any other weather. I've lived both an hour north of Santa Barbara, for 4 years, when I was a child, and then after having moved from there, 40+ years in Pasadena. Personally, I'm quite happy in California. So to the original poster, if you want to move here then go for it. Happy Travels!

I think that eveangeline has "moved on" so to speak since she has never posted back since she started this thread. Signed, A Very Happy Life Long Northern Californian Resident