California is one of the most desirable states in the country. It has a great climate, amazing scenery, beaches, mountains, forests, and deserts. Compared with other states, California is expensive, but it really depends on which sections of California we're talking about.

In the North, the Sacramento Area holds pretty reasonable home prices. Skies are blue, the suburbs are nice, and things are pretty tame. The San Francisco area and its surrounding cities are very expensive because of all the jobs and the urban lifestyle. Not everything in California is expensive though. In central California, there are desert-like cities such as Bakersfield, Fresno, or Stockton. It's very cheap to live in these areas, but there's also a lot less to do. Instead of driving to the beach, you may find yourself playing with tumbleweeds along the highway. Roughly 6 hours South of San Francisco is Los Angeles, which is very expensive because of the jobs available, the history, scenery, and culture. Los Angeles seems to have it all. The ocean is usually no more than 45 minutes away from most cities in the area, and there are lots of tourist attractions. Beach towns, Hollywood, and Malibu all add to the L.A. appeal. A couple hours south of L.A. is the beautiful city of San Diego, which is also very expensive. San Diego is known for some of the nicest beaches in California.

California is very diverse, but it seems to offer something for everyone.