Our California Move - Part 2: Car & RV Registration

[Zulu]

It's Official. We're Californians Now.

[travelinbob]

Please let us know how much difference it is now compared to before you were Californians on your car and RV registrations and the insurance. We were considering but ????

[Zulu]

Car insurance was higher, RV was lower. So there was little difference.

[Twotoes]

When I left CA and went full time I changed my Domicle to SoDakota and between the insurance and registration fees I saved about $2,000 a year on my RV and toad, plus motorcycle. Not to mention the cost of fuel in CA over $4.00 a gal. 

[Velos]

2021 Cost of Living Calculator  https://www.bestplaces.net/cost-of-living/livingston-tx/east-los-angeles-ca/50000

Cost of Living scores and indexes are a way to compare the overall price of goods and services between different areas of the United States. The national average is 100, so when you look at a place’s COL Index you can instantly see how much more or less you’ll have to pay to live there.

If a place has a cost of living index of 135, then it is 35% more expensive to live there than the national average. If a place has a cost of living index of 85, then it is 15% cheaper than the average for the entire country.

The biggest factor in Cost of Living is housing costs – buying a house or apartment, or renting one.

You get a custom cost of living comparison that includes housing, food, utilities, transportation, healthcare costs (including premiums and common surgeries), taxes, and child care prices.

 

[Zulu]

19 hours ago, Velos said:

2021 Cost of Living Calculator  https://www.bestplaces.net/cost-of-living/livingston-tx/east-los-angeles-ca/50000

Cost of Living scores and indexes are a way to compare the overall price of goods and services between different areas of the United States. The national average is 100, so when you look at a place’s COL Index you can instantly see how much more or less you’ll have to pay to live there.

First, you compared Livingston, TX with East Los Angeles. You'll get much different results if you use Mariposa, CA (where I actually reside) in your list 'o places.

Regardless, if you're limiting yourself to cost of living alone, then you'll want to live in McAllen, TX (it's #1 on this list), the cheapest American city to live. However, its quality of life leaves a bit to be desired. McAllen's poverty rate is over 30% and it's right across the Mexican border from Reynosa, the scene of violence between drug gangs and Mexican security forces.

On the other hand, if you use "livability" as a metric, then Mariposa, CA is one whole point ahead of Livingston, TX 😉

Finally, because of a number of quality of life factors, we chose to reside in Idle Wheels park -- which happens to be in Mariposa, CA. If the park was in a different state, there's a good chance we would have selected that state. Nevertheless, so far CA is turning out to be better than how many paint the state on RV forums. I suspect that's because CA "politics" is the main reason.

[Kirk W]

2 hours ago, Zulu said:

Nevertheless, so far CA is turning out to be better than how many paint the state on RV forums.

After having lived for a year or longer in 7 very different states (CA is one of them) and two additional states for 6+ months, and having spend a month or more in about 30 other states, I must say that one's perspective has a great deal to do with their thinking of what is a good place to live. I have also found that those who rate places by quality of life also tend to have a bias to the things that are important to them but may not be to me. I do not believe that there have been any states that we found nothing to like in and none that we found to be perfect. With Pam's family living in CA, we visit there on a fairly frequent basis and I was stationed there back when I first met her. I suspect that there are two big contributing factors in the negative opinions so common on these forums, politics being one and the extremely large cities the other. I suspect that many who visit the state never see the more remote parts, such as those between Placerville and Yosemite NP or between Redding and Susanville. 

Even though I would not choose to live there, I still enjoy visiting and can understand why some may wish to move there. Like most things in life, there is no single best place to live and I doubt that there is any single worst place to live. 

[Chalkie]

3 hours ago, Kirk W said:

Even though I would not choose to live there, I still enjoy visiting and can understand why some may wish to move there. Like most things in life, there is no single best place to live and I doubt that there is any single worst place to live. 

Well said!! I spent 3 tours in California, specifically the Monterey area, but have family all over the state and visited them often while I was stationed there. There are certain places I would not mind living in in California but they are all along the coast where cost of living is well outside my means. Overall, the state is beautiful. A lot condensed into one state, but no longer my cup of tea.

 

[travelinbob]

On 2/11/2021 at 8:36 AM, Zulu said:

Car insurance was higher, RV was lower. So there was little difference.

What about the registration on both car & RV ???

[Velos]

https://www.compare.com/auto-insurance/coverage/vehicle-costs

Vehicle Registration Fees, Insurance, and Other Costs by State for 2021

A few notes: These car registration fees are for passenger cars only; states charge different fees for RVs, trucks, antique cars, etc. The numbers we found are current as of 2020, but it’s smart to check the current numbers with your state department of motor vehicles.

Additional source State Rankings:  https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/car-registration-fees-by-state

 

[Zulu]

4 hours ago, travelinbob said:

What about the registration on both car & RV ???

It’s in the link I posted.

[Zulu]

3 hours ago, Velos said:

https://www.compare.com/auto-insurance/coverage/vehicle-costs

Vehicle Registration Fees, Insurance, and Other Costs by State for 2021

A few notes: These car registration fees are for passenger cars only; states charge different fees for RVs, trucks, antique cars, etc. The numbers we found are current as of 2020, but it’s smart to check the current numbers with your state department of motor vehicles.

Additional source State Rankings:  https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/car-registration-fees-by-state

 

Like I said, if you’re going for the cheapest place to live, it’s McAllen, TX.

[packnrat]

sorry to hear about your loss. i for one am forced (family/money) to stay here another six years. then out never to return, except maybe a visit or for the weather.

sure ca is a great place, but the government just (*****) everything out of your wallet.

no place else on this planet can you get up and snow ski, have breakfast all after sunup, then a short drive and water ski on a lake, have lunch, then another drive and serf in the pacific ocean, and have a sunset dinner.

a has the highest point in the lower 48 states, and the lowest point (maybe the whole world?) and you can be in one spot and see the other on a clear day. everything from a real rain forest, to a true dry sandy desert.

enjoy your time here, so much to see.

[agesilaus]

25 minutes ago, packnrat said:

has the highest point in the lower 48 states, and the lowest point (maybe the whole world?) and you can be in one spot and see the other on a clear day. everything from a real rain forest, to a true dry sandy desert.

I think the global low point is the dead sea. But otherwise you are right, Cali is a great state ruined by the population

[Twotoes]

Using the above 2021 Cost of Living Calculator that Velos  posted and using my home of 35 years, San Diego CA, comparing Phoenix AZ, Sarasota FL, Bosie ID, and McAllen TX, it seems that the one factor of cost is the average price of purchasing a house. CA overall is way more expensive, and not just San Diego but all of CA. I left the State of CA due to the high cost of housing, high taxes, high cost of fuel, high insurance rates (on vehicles and homeowners insurance) congested traffic everywhere on every interstate ( you can’t drive from San Diego to LA, Las Vegas, Phoenix without traffic 24/7/365) and yes the politics. I would never consider returning. 

[RV_]

I agree about our attitude having a lot to do with how we like our current surroundings. Dr I think we can X out the cost of a house if retired as we can sell in this economy and make a hell of a profit. I am beginning to downsize even more than before and after we moved here.

We were both AF Brats and I lived in Denver with my then active duty dad but was born in Long Island so my mom's mom could be there. Then Wheeling West Virgina, Steubenville Ohio, MIami, and then two years at ages five and six in Bogota, Colombia, S. America. Then age 7-18 Connecticut. Then active duty San Antonio, Wichita Falls Texas, Bossier City Louisiana, then back to Lackland, then Colorado Springs, then back to Louisiana, then Wichita Falls again, and Biloxi MIssissippi at Keesler. Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa Missouri.Then back to Louisiana and finally got orders overseas, did seven years at Spangdahlem Germany (Next to Trier,) than back to San Antonio for a year and then retired to our RV and did Texas/New Mexico/Aridzona (sp.int.) California where my mom and brothers moved just before I evaded the draft by joining the AF. Oregon, Nevada, Washington State, many more, just include everything West of the Mississippi, Canada, and Alaska. One week diving the Red Sea off Hurghada Egypt, We spent time in Holland, Belgium, France, Austria Switzerland where in Zermatt I got my desire to have an Electric vehicle/s, Cervinia Italy briefly skiing down to it from Zermatt around the back of the Matterhorn, Germany for seven years, and of course Mexico.

Never mind, the short list for the continental US is we have lived or spent time in every state except Hawaii, Michigan, Wisconsin.

I agree too much to see and experience, and good people to meet in this crazy old world. Wherever we've been we hit the ground running and explored, had diving, touring, and ski adventures, and enjoyed learning the food and cultures.

Like RVing it isn't where you land, it's how you choose to land.

Enjoy California! The rest of my immediate family did/do. And we'll enjoy Colorado whenever we can get back to normal. Soon.

 

Edited March 7, 2021 by RV_

[hamrs_62]

On 2/13/2021 at 5:05 AM, travelinbob said:

What about the registration on both car & RV ???

after registering in texas last year, this year if I were in cali it would have been over 1800, in texas it was 363.00 for my MH  

[travelinbob]

Just got my renewal in New Mexico yesterday, Jeep was $51 and RV was $85 for the year.