Motorhead,
Born, worked, and lived in CA my entire life..check. Lived in the same house for 31yrs..check. Only bought one rental house (not to flip)..really, really hard lesson learned with that..check. Lots of friends and fam nearby..check. Love CA, but I HATE what has happened TO it. Hmmm. Sour Grapes? IDK..yeah..maybe..sour grapes. But, that does not make the "sour grapes" feel any less factual..
Some professions preclude living where you actually want to. Yes, I'm envious of the pics you showed. I pretty much needed to work near an urban area or city being a software engineer. Silicon Valley..San Diego..both required a big investment to get into real estate. So much so, we never purchased in Silicon Valley..just rented. The crowds and congestion followed us to SoCal. :-(
So the OP's question was retiring TO a state..not retiring IN a state.
Fun Facts For People Retiring TO California..
CA has the second-highest cost of living in the United States.
CA accounted for 30% of the country's homeless population in 2022, despite making up less than 12% of the total population, according to federal data. Make sure you don't retire next to, or plan on visiting a large city nearby..be ready for tents and feces on the sidewalks.
Nearly a quarter of the nation's undocumented immigrants reside in CA, where they constitute more than 6% of the state's population.
State tax collections in 2021 totaled $6,325 per capita in CA, the second highest among states.
If you look at all the regulations, taxes, and fees associated with gas in CA, we pay $1.27 more per gallon than every other state in the nation. Don’t worry about the gas taxes, though. CA is abolishing gas powered vehicles, so be prepared to purchase a new EV.
Premiums for CA health insurance sold through the state marketplace will increase by nearly 10% next year, the highest rate hike since 2018.
CA has the third-worst state business tax climate in the United States.
At the state level, CA levies a 7.25 percent general sales and use tax, the highest statewide rate in the nation. The total sales tax rate can be as high as 10.75 percent in some areas of the state, while the most populous city, Los Angeles, has a total rate of 9.5 percent (as of April 1, 2023). If you live in CA close to the OR border, you can always drive to Oregon and pay no sales tax.
Earthquake Insurance?? If you live near the San Andreas Fault, it's recommended.
Fire Insurance?? Good luck with that, if the latest satellite photos show brush or trees near you place. Lots of insurance companies are leaving the state for the "fire danger" excuse.
Auto Insurance?? You're going to pay for all the crappy drivers and car thieves in the big cities. Use to be, it depended on how you drove or the zip code where you lived. Not any more. You're lumped in with all the bad drivers, speeders, and uninsured and under insured motorists. Hint: make sure you buy the "uninsured motorist" policy add-on, you'll need it. There lots of scofflaws that don't bother with insurance or get the least amount of coverage just to comply with the law and get registration.
Auto Registration. Don't drive a new car in CA. The registration fees will shock you because they're based on the $$ value of your ride. Trailers..yep. Boats..yep. Motorhome..OMG..yep.
Fun Facts On Shooting Areas..
Many places in the National Forest close to urban areas are "closed to shooting". There used to be two spots that I could drive to under 15 minutes. Closed. Taken over by organizations like the "Coast to Crest Conservancy..NF property, but no shooting allowed. Sucks.
Don't forget your National Forest Parking Pass. You can buy them daily or annually. You'll get a ticket if you park on NF land without one. Oh, and don't forget the hunting license..you need that even if you're just shooting ground squirrels or other varmints.
Funnest Fact If You Retire FROM California TO Another State..
LOL..the Franchise Tax Board will track you to your new state and make you pay CA tax on your retirement savings earned but not realized in CA. This will be on top of the CA taxes you'll also pay in your "new" state.
"Welcome to the Hotel California..such a lovely place..you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave." Eagles (paraphrased)
And yes, I have been accused of being somewhat of a cynic when it comes to my home state. ;-)