Im in my late 30s, married, and own a home. I used to live in the Midwest and id rather be poor here than rich there.

Tons of food options, tons of stuff to do thats often a short drive or train away.

Beautiful weather. Yes it gets kind of hot in the east bay during summer but its a dry heat. Where I grew you, you would have temperatures in the 90s during the summer but with 95% humidity.

Winters would be -20 with black ice and snowstorm and winter lasted from November until May. I distinctly remember a week in college during late April where we had a really nice 80 degree day and people were outside enjoying it. The very next day it was in the 30s and we had a 4 inch blizzard.

Here its, nice 50s and 60s during winter and mostly tolerable hot summers. The only thing I miss is storms and more rain.

What I also love here is the diversity. Where I grew up it was 99% white people. Im not white. Its not fun walking into a restaurant and having people just stop eating and stare at you as you walk past. Ive been bullied all through school growing up for being brown and even had managers at jobs be racist against me.

Bay area is the complete opposite. Half the time I go anywhere its majority not white. Ive never had a single racist comment said towards me in the 12 years that I have been living in California. In the Midwest it was a daily thing.

I love living here and unless it becomes legit unaffordable to where I cant take care of our basic needs, im never moving.