Thread by @AngelenoInsight

Why It Costs So Much Just to Live in California 🧵

From gas to groceries to rent—California isn’t just expensive, it’s strategically unaffordable.
Let’s break down what’s driving the cost of living sky-high in the Golden State 👇

1. 💵 The average CA household needs $96,000/year just to make ends meet
That’s not to “get ahead”—that’s just to cover basic expenses like food, rent, transit, and healthcare.
In SF or LA? It’s over $120K.

2. 🏠 Housing is the #1 reason
Median home price: $860,000
Median rent: $2,750/month
CA builds far fewer homes per capita than needed—because of zoning laws, CEQA lawsuits, permit delays, and NIMBY politics.

3. 🚗 Driving is a luxury—because it’s taxed like one
California’s gas taxes and environmental compliance fees add $1.30+/gal to prices.
Plus: smog check fees, bridge tolls, car registration, congestion pricing…

4. ⚡ Utilities? Sky-high too.
PG&E, SoCal Edison, SDG&E charge some of the highest electricity rates in the country.
You pay 40–65¢ per kWh in many areas. Why?
Fire liability costs, green mandates, and deferred maintenance.

5. 🛒 Groceries and goods are more expensive by design
• $20/hr fast-food wage law
• Ban on independent contractors
• High commercial rent
• Overtime mandates
All baked into your sandwich, smoothie, and shampoo.

6. 📜 Hidden fees everywhere
• Plastic bag tax
• Tire disposal fee
• E-waste recycling fee
• Hidden “surcharge” on water bills
Living in CA means paying dozens of micro-taxes every month.

7. 🧾 Even your paycheck gets hit harder
CA has the highest state income tax bracket in the U.S.
Up to 14.4% for top earners — and yes, that includes many middle-class dual-income households in LA/SF.

8. 💡 Then there’s Prop 13…
Prop 13 keeps property taxes low for longtime homeowners — but newer buyers pay way more.
Two neighbors = two wildly different tax bills.
And renters? They just foot the landlord’s rising costs.

9. 🧠 CA didn’t become unaffordable by accident
Lawmakers passed hundreds of well-intentioned policies over decades—each adding a new cost.
Few get repealed. All get passed on to residents.

10. ⚖️ The result?
People are leaving.
Nearly 1 million Californians have moved out in 3 years.
But many stay—because it’s home.
Still, the question remains:
How much more can working Californians take?

💬 Have you considered leaving CA?
What’s keeping you here—or pushing you out?
Sound off below 👇