People are so quick to move to other states for housing cost ,political ideology etc,but there's nowhere like Cali ,beaches ,mountains, lakes and the best weather anywhere in the world

Fun fact: I believe Redding is one of the hottest summer temp cities in the USA at its latitude.

I will always love California

Great to see someone take pride in our great State of California. Just for that I will give this video a big LIKE.

I can’t in good conscience recommend anyone even set foot in Barstow 😅

Fresno is really 'Hotter than Hell' from June thru September, easily 4 months over 100 degrees EVERY DAY... with July and August at 110+ EVERY DAY thru-out both those months.

I'm from Northern California originally so I've been to all these places except Banning. The reason they're less expensive than the Bay Area/L.A./San Diego is the weather. Eureka is often windy, foggy, damp, similar to the Pacific Northwest. Everywhere else is hot as blazes in the summer. Prepare to be living at Jamba Juice for half the year in order to survive. I remember going to an event in Redding in August and the daytime temp was like 108-112.

I have lived in Banning since 1999 and the situation right now is horrendous. The surrounding rural areas are being developed with bedroom communities and large distribution warehouses. The roads cannot absorb the growth in population. Currently, the number of trucks on the 10 freeway has tripled, and it takes 25 minutes to travel from Banning to adjacent Beaumont via the main road. The only new businesses coming to town are fast food restaurants, dollar stores, and automotive shops. It takes close to 2 hours to get to my daughter in Long Beach and that is on a Saturday. No, Banning, is not quite the quality of living that one imagines here. It did have a small town vibe and a little bit of a community sense, mostly working class, years ago, but that has changed rapidly. There are persistent rumors of corruption in how Banning and Beaumont handle their affairs.

I was raised in Visalia (pop then: 15,000) and feel blessed to have grown up feasting on the abundance of the local farms and ranches. (There was so much, in fact, that it was not uncommon to wake up to boxes of extra produce, too ripe for shipping, left on our doorsteps by friends in the ag business.) In addition to that we had Sequoia/Kings Canyon as our back yard, so every weekend we were up hiking among the world's most magnificent trees and peaks. I noticed that Visalia was recently voted one of the friendliest towns in California by a top travel site. It's nice to see this charming little town get the recognition it deserves.

I'm an old native San Franciscan who now lives in a small town north of Seattle. Moved up here 18 years ago from Sebastopol. Ironically, I live above another, smaller Clearlake WA. My house here was half the price of my Seattle house. If you can stand the overcast weather its a great place. Still, I long for California at times.

I have family in Redding and Clear lake.There are no jobs there period.....Redding is hotter than hell everyday in June, July ,and August......If your house doesn't have A C, your in trouble.......

There is a big difference between North, Central, and Southern California. As a native, I see the North/Central and South as completely different states. Southern California is unique to the rest of the country, price included.

Counterpoint on Clear Lake and Lake County: it has next to no job opportunities. The county is very rural, so you'll need to spend a lot on gas to get anywhere. My family only moved to lake county because it was the only place my dad could find work as a teacher in Middletown, before middletown was destroyed by a wildfire. I packed up and left for Chico almost twenty years ago for school and stayed after I got a job here.

I love Mediterrean climate, the only climate with dry summers and wet winters. Seattle was too rainy for me, and LA is too hot/dry. I wish there was a medium size city near CA/OR border. Also I have been to half of these cities during a road trip. They are really nice. Buying fresh fruits in Fresno is priceless. Much better than tasteless stuff that is harvested raw and ripens during transport..

So happy you skipped right over my little gem of a small valley town. We would love for it to stay on the small side.

Great video as always! I always thought that the cities in the Central Valley were underrated. As another Californian living far away, I’m still California Dreaming!

Of all these, Eureka/Arcata gets my attention because of redwoods, coastal weather and the remoteness but I also have heard it's rough up there and there aren't many jobs so I'd probably have to start a business if I were to move there

I’m really loving California View in addition your main channel, Kyle. Your thoughtful and intelligent perspective makes you a rare gem! Thank you ✌️

Lake County kid here (living in Sacramento now). Nice to see it make the list. The west side of the lake is very nice and with less of the impact of the opioids. Kelseyville is a very nice town.

I’m not going to read the comments cause I know they are a mess. Great video, I think you hit a lot of key points. I moved to Texas for 3 years, one of the worst mistakes of my life. Left there and moved to Nevada, job market sucks, cool place to visit. I’m back in California, working and living in Anaheim. Yes things are expensive but my daughter is in a great school in Cypress. You know the vibe in Orange County.

Kyle, the Geography King, with a second channel? That's awesome! As a former New Yorker living in Florida now, I'm realizing this isn't quite the place for me. Too hot, too many tourists, zero geographical variety, deceivingly expensive. I ain't returning to NY and I've always desired to live out west, but Cali seems wildly out of price range. However, I would gladly consider places like Sacramento or Fresno, large cities for sure but not wildly so. Great video and thanks for the info!

Im living in Hidden valley Lake, lake county. Its about 20 minutes from Clearlake 40 minutes to Calistoga. Gated community 24 hour security, private lake, golf course and community pool. Love it and prices are very reasonable.

RE: Santa Cruz Area for renters Hi Kyle and others, My hubby and I moved to a small city just south of Santa Cruz to retire. We first lived in a one bedroom, 20 unit building for 4 yrs (2014 - 2018). The rent started at $1200 then went to $1695. That last year was really tough. But we were selected into an affordable senior only complex. Now, we have been very happy living in a spacious 2 bedroom (720 square. ft.) Starting at $900mo. Now, $1295 but worth it. For seniors and those in the medical it's a great place to live for those in the medical profession. The local hospitals are in dire need of RNs. And other supporting clinics, physical therapy, mental heath are booming. If you live out of the area, seniors can apply for affordable housing here. It would be important to call the facilities you apply, periodically. My hubby called every month until we were selected. So, this might be helpful for some. Love & kindness, CL ByTheSeashore

I'm new to Visalia, and I agree this city is a hidden gem!

Thank you for this post!

Thank you so much for this video, you taught me a lot!

Thanks for this video from a fellow Californian. You have a great, dry sense of humor and really tell it like it is. 😆

I work for the Larger Utility Company in Ca, and have been traveling everywhere for almost 20 years. I named almost all those cities before you did lol. I will add, Oroville, Yuba City/ Marysville, Grass Valley, Los Banos and Bakersfield. All are very nice towns. I would take off Clear Lake though. Opioids are on their way out, but are still present, and it’s old communities with no real industry in the area. I’d add Ukiah on the list, but that area has gotten expensive. But yes, no idea why people are moving out of state. We have more usable open space than anywhere east of the Rockies.

Born and raised in Fresno. Some perks : Close in proximity to major metropolitan cities, to the beach, to the mountains, to Vegas…access to fresh produce, great for real estate since it’s reasonably priced and great for raising a family. Cons: Air quality, SWELTERING hot Summers, bad fog in the Winters, crime in low income areas, not much of a city life, small art/creative scene, small town mentality with the community and a lack of community “leaders”. That city has all the tools for success but unfortunately not the best leaders to grow the city to its potential.

I grew up in Southern California and I went to Humboldt State for 1 year. It’s remote and quaint. Located in Arcata. Eureka is a much bigger city in comparison. My friends schooled me in the local weather forecasts. Never had heard this expression before but it was constantly being said. “colder than a witches tit today!” Returned home with something called the “Humboldt Crud” by a campus doctor. Coughed for almost a year after leaving.

Great video! Thanks!!

I grew up in Butte County near Chico and what you save in housing prices you spend on 24/7 air conditioner on from May-September. In the summer the days get up in the 100's everyday and cool down to 90's at night. No Thanks!

Great content! I feel this video was tailor made for me!! Trying to leave San Diego to a more affordable, retiree friendly city without leaving the state as you highlighted in this video. Redding and Chico look appealing for my needs.

I've lived in coastal Cali now since 1997 (8 years in Manhattan Beach/Hermosa Beach/Playa del Rey, and 19 years in Berkeley/SF/Oakland). The people who are fleeing to bigger cities outside of California (like Phoenix or Austin) do so for job opportunities, mostly, and because they enjoy living in a busy metropolitain area and not small or rural areas. Crime in California is another huge issue, as well as the drug problem that is often fueling the crime. Most everywhere you mention, aside from Sacramento, has very few &/or low paying jobs, plus high crime, AND rural drug problems, as well as an inability to get home owners insurance due to fire, and poor air quality. Combine all those problems together and you develop an understanding of why the real estate is so cheap there. I've never watched any of your videos before this one, but you don't seem to have any understanding of the difficult *thousands and thousands* of home owners are having getting home owners insurance (and I'm talking right in the multi-million dollars homes in Montclair Oakland, not up in wildfire country). Before anyone considers *any area of California*, you had better call multiple insurance companies FIRST and find out if you can even get homeowners insurance in that town/city. This is not an exaggeration. I've never seen California in the state it has been in since 2019-2020, and I mean both LA and SF and many, many cities I travel to all over this state are having drug/crime issues. Here is the truly salient point, though. What are you accustomed to??? If you've lived most of your life in Manhattan (NY), LA, and San Francisco, DC, or other major cities, it is *extremely* hard to downgrade from that kind of lifestyle. If you were born and raised in podunksville, you may move to a small or mid-sized city and be content. It all depends on what lifestyle people want. If they want a huge metropolitan area, rural isn't going to work for them, and vice versa.

Thank you!!! This is great info!

This is a great video! As a native Californian I've been to a lot of the places on this list. Some things to mention are that Visalia is super conservative. I went to a wedding there and was floored by some of the things I heard people say. But we went to the coolest reception on this ranch property out there! I grew up near Banning. It used to be borderline nothing, and I like that it's growing. The surrounding area isn't bad to look at, but beware: it's basically the Southern California desert. Highs can easily get in the 110+ range through summer. Otherwise, quick and easy access to a lot of Southern California, including less than 1.5 hours to the beach!

I had expected, as you go south from Sacramento, you would have mentioned Stockton. We are within commute distance of the East bay area, but you can find a livable house for $300K, and a really nice one for $400K. You are around 2 hours from San Francisco, Yosemite, Tahoe and world class ski resorts. If you like boating, the Delta is right here. I berth my boat 10 minutes from my $400K 1600sqft 3/2 house in Stockton for berthing of

Nice analysis. You nailed it.

In March 2024, the median listing home price in Eureka, CA was $454.5K, trending up 3.3% year-over-year. And there are NO jobs The unemployment rate is 6%.

Your comments were spot-on accurate. Thanks for reminding us of all that California has to offer. FresNo? FresYES! Food and arts scene are coming along nicely. And the PRODUCE! There are a million people in Fresno County!!

Great info Kyle👍🏼👍🏼

I thought the thumbnail looked oddly familiar. Glad to stumble on this channel.

Had family out in Visalia and lived there for about a year. They've since left and I'm not sure when I'll ever be back. One of my favorite places in the country...but there's a reason it's priced so cheaply. Worst air quality in the country, very remote, and poor white collar jobs market.

Thanks for the great review of Sacramento.

Great info -- thanks so much! 😊👍

I love how you leave out the job markets within the cities u mention!

I moved to Sacramento (From Visalia) about 20 years ago. Although the summers are relatively hot, we get the breezes off the Delta that cools things off most evenings. We do have a great foodie and microbrew scene. I also concur about Visalia.

Very good analyses.

Concur with you 100% especially regarding Redding, Fresno and Visalia, I’ve never understood the “Ocean View “, the waves roll in, the waves roll out = a half a million x2, although it’s nice to visit the coast in August when it’s hot in the Valley!

I stayed in eureka. It’s beautiful

I knew Visalia was going to be on the list. The Twin Peaks of the Central Valley. My sis-in-law moved there, and couldn’t wait to move up into Three Rivers for mountain living.

Nice video, Kyle. Great content on California. Keep it coming! Btw- did you catch the totality of eclipse?

Ridgecrest, Yucca Valley and Barstow are located near military bases. Retired military prefer residing near a base so they can use the PX store.

Thank you - that opened my eyes

Excellent video, and excellent point that many who cannot afford the coast still have lots of options without having to leave the state.

Thanks for the video. We left Walnut Creek a couple of years ago and despite the problems California has (and let’s not kid itself, it has many public policy failures that have undermined the State), it remains a beautiful state. Notwithstanding the wildfire threat, we are contemplating (okay, dreaming) about moving back to Northern California after I retire, but we will be limited to an inexpensive/less expensive area than Walnut Creek. One of my favorite scenic drives from Walnut Creek was to Point Reyes/Drakes Bay.

Great video!

I lived in Fresno, Visalia and Modesto and all over the central valley and I hated it there. Granted it was like 20 years ago but my experience it was super hot and dry all summer, Tons of crime (I was mugged twice in Fresno), the allergies and pollution were off the chain because all the pollution just settles into the valley and doesn't get cleared out until winter rains come. When I first got to Visalia I didn't realize that you could see the sierra Nevada mountains from there for like 2 months because the pollution was so bad until it finally rained and I went outside and like had a heart attack because the mountains were right there. Maybe someone living there can comment if the crime and pollution have gotten any better since then, but based on my experience I could not recommend anywhere in the central valley.

This is a great video but I wish you could have mentioned Paradise & Magalia, 20 or so miles northeast of Chico… It’s a little pricier to buy in Paradise than it used to be since the Camp Fire (all new construction has new requirements with respect to fire codes and solar panels. Also be aware that fire insurance is EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE!!! Most larger insurers are leaving the State. There are ways to mitigate the cost though, so do be sure and ask your realtor about insurance & mitigation.

Cool video. Wife and I road tripped last year staying at KOA’s. Crescent City was nice, as the Redwoods was our main destination. I’ve been visiting Reedley since early 70’s, us Finn’s have a secret spot on Kings river. Love that area. Live in Torrance, reckon we’ll stay in our house till it’s time to check out and pass on to son. God bless.✌🏻❤️🇺🇸

As a person who grew up in Clearlake and graduated from Lower Lake High School, I was excited to see this area make your list. I would love to return.

I really liked Visilia and was pleasantly surprised when I passed through the area. Green hills ❤. I definitely agree with you regarding Chico.

I grew up in SoCal most of my life I've lived in Sacramento now for almost 20 years and the weather is Extreme at times but the way I look at it is by the time you're tired of the heat it cools down and by the time you're tired of the cold it warms up it's beautiful Four Seasons here

Excellent resource. We're moving from the East to the West this fall. It's down to Davis (if we can afford it), Chico (if we can't) or Eugene OR (if we really can't).

Hidden Valley Lake is a gated community with a beautiful 102 acre lake and professional golf course. It’s only about 20 mins from Clearlake. The area has been getting gentrified since 2020, but at least houses are still affordable here.

Super interesting list and ideas! Shout out to the Central Valley! I live there and I've been to Visalia several times. Visalia is a nice town with a cool downtown and good music scene.

My friend who was originally from Sac recently left Bakersfield for Phoenix and it's because he got a job in his field of work, that helped pay him to move there.

I agree with your choices (especially redding 😃) , though I think you could have better clarified that there are areas in the sacramento area that are cheaper and frankly nicer than the ones you showed in the city proper, like folsom or Rancho cordova

Thank you for this.

California native that had got priced out, I’ll consider this list if I ever return!

THANK YOU, IT WAS VERY HELPFUL.

From Huntington Beach here, had moved to Sacramento in 2017, left in 2018! Cock Roach problem & Redding burned bad, paradise to the ground that summer...back to socal

My husband and I are restored and looking for places inside the state that have a somewhat vibrant city scene, are close to great hiking and natural beauty, but aren't too dang hot in the summer, too much in the fire hazard zone, and that have breathable air. For at least one of those reasons (if not more), Redding, Fresno, and Visalia are out for us. We are considering Arcata, but it's so far away from the Bay Area... still thinking about it. For now, we're staying put.

Grandparents moved to Lakeport in the late 80s. I grew up there as a kid in the 90s during the summer and winter holidays, traveling from The Bay. Aunt and cousin still live there. Good for weekend trips but never would i be able to live there unless retired.

When I was a kid (10-11 years old), in 1968, I wondered why none of the license plates on California cars that I saw never started with the letter "I". We then took a trip to Sequoia Nat'l Park in 1968. We drove to Visalia on our way back to Los Angeles, and lo, and behold to my surprise, most of the license plates on the cars in Visalia started with the letter "I". As a kid, I really marvelled at that. That was when California had the black background with the yellow numerals, and letters on the license plates. That is the only time in my life that I ever went to Visalia, Calif. but I never forgot that! You mentioned Sacramento. My uncle, Eugene "Doc" Lemmon was personally recommended by Walt Disney to head up the Cal-Expo in Sacramento, which broke ground in 1966. He left there in 1968, to become one of the VP's of Sea World Inc., and was tasked to pick the site of their new joint-venture theme park, which he named, "Magic Mountain" in Valencia, Calif. As I type this, I have his giant Magic Mountain poster on my wall, above my computer screen, which he had in his office at Magic Mountain, as he was the President there. Walt knew my uncle, because my uncle was the 5th official employee of Disneyland Inc, hired in 1954, before construction began on Disneyland. He was the Park Operations Manager at Disneyland from 1956-to 1961, supervising more than 1,000 employees, and reported directly to Walt. I have much documentation to that effect, written, and pictorially!! Excellent presentation in your Vlog! Around 1990, I visited Redding, and contemplated moving there, really like the sense of the town there.

Audio sounds a bit low but otherwise great video. Lived in the Central Valley and loved it.

We live in Riverside and quite honestly are very happy here. Downtown has gone through some revitalization over the years and has improved quite a bit.

I’m from Lake County. It’s got no job market, but many people live there on fixed incomes, or remote jobs. It’s also separated from everywhere else by windy mountain roads. The fire risk is high. OTOH, it’s got the cleanest air in the state, and 8th cleanest in the nation. It’s beautiful. You’re about 2 hours from Sacramento, or Santa Rosa, or the bay. The city of Clearlake is where all the lake pollution drifts to, and it has the worst drug problem, but Lower Lake, which runs into it, is pretty nice. Kelseyville is the most racist town. Middletown and Lakeport school districts are probably the best. Cobb is mountain living, cheaper, but more extreme weather. I would recommend Shasta or Lassen counties over some of those listed here, because the average income to average rent/mortgage is better.

My guy. Your shirt. It’s amazing!

Really enjoyed this video. Went to COS in Visalia, so I can wholeheartedly agree with this choice, though it’s rapidly losing its small city charms.

Moved to Fresno in 2017 from OC beach town. I loved how quiet it is compared to where I was from, and it’s got the big box stores I need. It gets hot during the summer, but luckily I’m indoors all day. However, the air quality here in the Central Valley is just absolutely awful. All the sprayings that the countless farms do in the valley fish bowl is not good for the health. I developed allergies for the first time in my life upon moving to Fresno, and my cough has not gone away since despite attempting to get help from ent and allergist. Also, even though housing prices are better compared to other parts of similarly situated areas in California, the housing market sky rocketed during the pandemic, and most single people I know who are at the typical age to purchase their first homes (like me) have found it impossible to make such purchase on a median salary. I’ve grown roots here now, but I’m mobile to uproot and go somewhere else if the opportunity arises.

Thank you this is great, never really considered this solution. Gotta get out of L.A.

Nice shirt Kyle! 😋 I have been to Fresno and Clovis, both of which weren't bad at all. Close to Yosemite, so I'm sold! 👍

Lifelong Californian and have actually lived in several of these areas and have visited all of them. I completely concur with all of them. Banning also close to Palm Springs and actually has Salt Lake City like views of snow capped mountains to the north in the winter.

Congrats Kyle, this one blew up, on the second channel!

Kyle we need the follow up video for even cheaper places that are pretty gross! Also what are your thoughts on Tehachapi? And is the Lancaster Palmdale area too expensive to make the cut?

Redding is as arid as Arizona. First place I ever saw the term, 'Elevation Williams'. Good memories.

Thank you for this! I live in an apartment in Los Angeles, but my GF is from Sac. She took me there and showed me the whole city for the first time a few years ago and I fell in love with it. Downtown and Midtown Sac are criminally underrated. We go back at least once a year now. We intend to move there and buy a home in the next few years, I hope it's still affordable by the time we make the jump tho haha

I remember Fresno had a lot of car thefts issue like sacramento. Wasn't Clearlake had some issues with water? I like the area but avoid living close to the water.

Been in benicia ca for about a year and it’s beautiful 🤩

Sacramento native here, it's on the junction of two major rivers which is nice, and is close (2 hours) to Tahoe. It has many lovely areas: hot in summer ,though; but is does cool down each night which is the saving grace re the heat.

Love Eureka, Crescent City, and the North State coast, but it’s pretty remote. Redding is definitely hot in summer, but so much natural beauty.

Thanks for your honest reviews. How do you rate the Pittsburg/Antioch area? Thanks!

Oh, man, you got some nice shots of Eureka on sunny days, but it's almost always socked in with cold and windy fog - makes a difference. Just checked - one-bedroom apartments averaging $1,100/month.

The Sacramento Valley towns are under recognized; see Chico and Redding.

Yeah, it's hot in Redding and lots of other places in California, but have you every been to Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee. Florida, Nebraska, and many other states. Hot and humid (90+%), tornadoes, freezing rain, blizzards, mega thunderstorms, and much more. And all of those states live off of federal grants because they don't tax the rich and powerful, and big corporations enough. oh, and wages in those states is about 25% or more less than California, and real estate prices don't accrue nearly as fast. Hmm, I like it here just fine.

What are your toughts on Porterville CA just below the Sequioa National Forest? I've been there a few times and seems like it has about everything a family would need.

Nevada City also has some affordable homes & its a nice small town as well.

All TRUE. I live in CA. These are real nice cities and the people of the state NEED to pull away from the coast and Re gentrify the valley towns. I’ve been to all of them, and more. THEY ARE THERE!

Most of these locations are remote, and without much commerce or industry nearby, you’re looking at a long commute to work.