California Works for the Young but Not for Families

I love California. I can surf on Christmas Morning and snowboard in the afternoon.

Want a specific, niche kind of food? They have it. Want to catch a sports game? They've got:

• 5 MLB teams
• 4 NBA teams
• 3 NFL teams
• 7 Pro Hockey / Soccer teams

Incredible wilderness. The highest AND lowest points in the contiguous United States. Concerts, shows, movie star sightings.

Three Industries That Shaped the World Started Here

California is the epicenter of three of the most influential industries in the world:

• Technology
• Music
• Film/Television

It really is an incredible place for young people to go and experience life.

Why Families Are Leaving Despite the Opportunity

But for families, California has become almost unlivable unless you are independently wealthy.

• Housing is unaffordable unless you move hours away from any of the good stuff
• Homelessness has taken over, even into suburbia
• Energy costs and taxes are out of control
• There is very little intellectual diversity
• Operating conditions for most businesses and business owners is openly hostile
• Public schools often feel like indoctrination centers pitting children and parents against each other

That tension between confidence and doubt about whether you can actually make it there is something every entrepreneur knows. California amplifies it.

The State Has Become a College Destination

Like I said, I love California for many reasons. But it's turned into a college-like destination for the rest of the United States.

Come young, have fun, "find yourself," settle down, get married, and move somewhere more affordable and family friendly once you start having kids.