As a software developer I worked and lived in multiple states. In spite of business appeal of the valley I never went to California.
Here are my reasons (in order of declining importance):
1) Crazy real estate prices (and as a result higher salaries do not compensate for higher cost of living).
2) Higher taxes. Income, sale, and excise taxes in California are high. In addition to that, federal income tax is higher, because in order to compensate for higher cost of living I need to earn more, which brings me into higher tax bracket.
Here are my reasons (in order of declining importance):
1) Crazy real estate prices (and as a result higher salaries do not compensate for higher cost of living).
2) Higher taxes. Income, sale, and excise taxes in California are high. In addition to that, federal income tax is higher, because in order to compensate for higher cost of living I need to earn more, which brings me into higher tax bracket.
3) Weather. Too cold for my taste.