“Go west young man, and grow up with the country”; was a phrase first stated in an 1851 editorial in the Terre Haute Express.  When I was a young college grad  in the sixties, working in Chicago, everyone dreamed of moving to California.  And many of them did.  I was saving my money to move there, myself, but instead I met my first husband on an elevator and stayed in the Windy City.  But now, there’s a mass exodus taking place Recently, I’ve met three people who moved to this cold Midwestern city from different California cities.  Why in the world would anyone leave that warm climate at this time of year?  Has the Golden State lost its luster?

For starters, it’s the traffic.  A recent study published in the USA  listed the 40 most dangerous cities for driving  And guess what? 21 of those cities were in the State of California. It’s no surprise that none of them are in the State of Indiana because after all, we’re that dull conservative state where people pride themselves on caution and common sense.

The cost of living  is another deal breaker.  Here are the cost of living figures, compared to the rest of the country.

An amount below 100 means California is cheaper than the US average. A cost of living index above 100 means California is more expensive.

Cost of Living:                                California              United States

Housing                                               293.1                      100

Median Home Cost                       $548.600            $219,750

Utilities                                                 102.4                        100

Transportation                                 146.1                          100

California has the highest rates of unsheltered homelessness in the United States.  The state of Indiana also has a homeless problem, but it doesn’t compare to the Golden State.  In San Francisco,  homeless camps line the streets of gated communities.  A friend in LA shrugs off the fact that she  walks past homeless tents and debris whenever  she leaves her apartment.  In large California cities, the streets are full of fecal matter, discarded syringes and trash.

Politics are driving conservatives away because they’re tired of high taxes and California’s political culture.  Among registered voters, Republicans are three times as likely to leave as Democrats.

Calamities of nature like wildfires also threaten California residents.

So how do our newcomers  feel about moving  East  to Indiana?   So far, they claim not to mind the weather.  They’re learning to adapt and take advantage of the good, sunny days.  And they’re thrilled with lower cost housing , and paying less for everything.

The new slogan for the next generation of Californians might be:  Go East, Young Man, and live a better life.