I’ve heard many people say that they could never move to the South because of low wages.
While it is true that wages are lower in some states, the fact of the matter is that you can live a better lifestyle with those lower wages.
I came from San Diego where rent was easily 1800 for a one-bedroom apartment. A lot of houses started around 500k if you wanted anything decent within an hour’s drive from the city of San Diego. I had coworkers who made the two-hour drive from Temecula to get to work. The other ones who had houses had lived in San Diego for generations before the prices got out of control, or both spouses were working very high-paying jobs to cover the cost of living. Add the high taxes, gas prices, and every other thing California can nickel and dime you for and you can see why people flee the state.
This is not a California-bashing rant, this is just the hard truth. It’s a state where you have beautiful beaches, good-looking people who stay in shape, endless entertainment, and more. But, guess what? There are other states that have that too, without you having to live like a broke college kid until the day you die. I looked around and knew that I didn’t want to enter my forties still living with roommates. I’m a very picky person, I know what I like and what I don’t. I went state shopping. First on my list, like other Californians, was Texas. The people were friendly, and driving was downright scary. However, at the end of the day, it wasn’t for me. I didn’t realize how much I liked the beach until I went to Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin.
That’s when I decided that I would move to Florida I didn’t have to visit as I was very familiar with being originally from North Carolina. Florida was the vacation spot for my family. I mentally prepared myself for the big pay cut over 7k. I received my check and thought I read it wrong. California has been robbing me blind my paycheck was only $80 less. The difference in rent and gas prices put me in the black. I just signed the contract on a house after just one year of living in Florida something that was out of my reach for the 13 years I lived in San Diego. Beaches are everywhere, freshwater springs, lakes, hiking trails, amusement parks, restaurants, and nightclubs. The only thing I miss is the perfect San Diego weather but I can make it up with my backyard pool something that is only reserved for the rich in California.
Florida is not for everybody but we want to go on demographics, it’s not the backward state that everyone makes it out to be. There is plenty of culture and diversity and different viewpoints and that’s a good thing. Different points of view bring open dialogue and perspectives that you may never have been aware of if you only surround yourself with people like yourself.
So yes, if you moved down south from New York, California, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, or Colorado you will take a pay cut. But take a breath do the math and ask what good is 100 dollars an hour if milk costs 50 dollars and houses cost 10 million. (Overexaggerating to make a point) but hopefully, you get what I’m saying. And if the pros outweigh the cons then stay where you’re at that’s the beauty of living in a free country.
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