For some people leaving California, the reasons are financial and political. For others, it is traffic, crowding, lifestyle fatigue or simply the feeling that another part of the state might offer a better quality of life.
Commentary YouTuber Anton Daniels reacted to three TikTok creators who described why they either left California or were preparing to move, with complaints ranging from taxes and pandemic-era restrictions to Los Angeles traffic and what one woman called an increasingly politicized culture.
The three women were not all making the same argument. TikToker cali_to_cody is preparing to leave California for Wyoming, Kaliwillneverleave said politics drove her from California to Florida, while Brooke Elle is staying in the state but leaving Los Angeles for Orange County.
Daniels largely agreed with their frustrations, arguing that California still has extraordinary weather, beaches and scenery but that high costs, homelessness and political leadership have made the trade-offs increasingly difficult for some residents.
Taxes And Crowding Push One Couple Toward Wyoming
The first TikTok creator, cali_to_cody, said taxes were the biggest reason she and her partner, John, could not wait to leave California.
She described feeling as though residents are charged extra for everything, listing income taxes, property taxes, gasoline taxes and additional fees.
When the couple compared their California expenses with what they expected to pay in Wyoming, she said the difference was “jaw-dropping,” describing it as comparable to an entire annual income.
Their second reason was population density.
She said she and John spend plenty of time around people while traveling for work, so they want their home life to offer more space, quiet and wildlife.
They are apparently so committed to that idea that she said an hour-long trip to a grocery store would not bother them.
The third reason was social division.
“Everything in California feels politicized,” she said, adding that she wanted to live somewhere where people cared more about being good neighbors than whether everyone belonged to the same political side.
That is clearly a personal impression rather than something that can be measured neatly across nearly 40 million people, but it speaks to a broader kind of dissatisfaction that cannot be reduced to taxes alone. Sometimes people leave because a place simply stops feeling culturally comfortable to them.
She Still Loves Much Of What California Offers
The decision is not without regrets.
Cali_to_cody said California’s climate makes gardening remarkably easy, allowing her to grow vegetables, herbs, flowers and fruit for much of the year.
She also said leaving their home would be emotionally difficult because she and John designed and built it as their “forever home.”
Every room and landscaping project carried memories, she explained, making the move more than a simple financial calculation.
She even joked that she would miss California sushi, something she expects will be harder to find after moving inland to Wyoming.
“The truth is, every move has a trade,” she said.
Daniels agreed with that basic point.
He argued that every state comes with compromises, whether it is snow, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, earthquakes or higher costs, and said the real question is which disadvantages a person is willing to accept.
Daniels Says California’s Natural Advantages Are Hard To Beat
Daniels said Southern California remains one of his favorite places to visit.
He praised Newport Beach and La Jolla in particular for their scenery, climate and access to the ocean, describing both as places that can still feel almost idyllic.
In his view, California’s strongest appeal has always been the weather and coastline.
But he argued that those advantages are increasingly offset by high home prices, taxes, overcrowding and visible homelessness in places such as Los Angeles and downtown San Diego.
Daniels blamed state and local political leadership for much of what he sees as California’s decline, specifically criticizing Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
He also described California as having embraced what he called “woke agendas,” though that was his political characterization rather than a neutral description of state policy.
His broader argument was that a beautiful place can become much less attractive when residents believe the cost of living and governing culture are working against them.
At the same time, he admitted that Wyoming would be too isolated for him personally, especially if basic errands required an hour-long drive.
That is the contradiction running through the entire discussion: people may dislike California’s costs and crowds while still struggling to replace what it offers.
Former Teacher Says Pandemic Politics Were Her Breaking Point
The second TikTok creator, Kaliwillneverleave, said her decision to move from California to Florida came down largely to politics.
She had been teaching for about a decade and living in Monterey, a place she described as beautiful, and said she loved her job.
What changed, in her telling, was the response to COVID-era restrictions.
She said being confronted for not wearing a mask outside became one of her breaking points, along with restrictions on beach access.
She also criticized requirements that some teachers who had not received a COVID vaccine undergo repeated testing and said she resented being unable to enter businesses without complying with mask rules.
“I think it’s dangerous to be around people that are so sheepish, that comply so easily without asking any questions, and then persecute those that don’t,” she said.
That is her interpretation of a highly contentious period, and others who lived through the same restrictions may view them very differently.
Daniels strongly sided with her.
He said California had become “super woke” during the pandemic and also referenced Newsom being criticized for attending a dinner while restrictions were in place.
Daniels then broadened the discussion into national politics, including unsupported claims about the 2020 presidential election and mail voting. Those comments reflected his political views and are separate from the more concrete question of why individual residents chose to leave California.
One Woman Is Leaving L.A. But Not California
The third creator, Brooke Elle, offered a very different kind of exit story.
She moved from Ohio to Los Angeles about two years earlier and said she was now done with the city, but not with California.
Instead, she plans to move to Orange County.
Her complaints were much less ideological.
She said Los Angeles leaves her overstimulated, traffic is far worse than she expected, and the local influencer scene has started to feel out of touch despite the fact that she works as an influencer herself.
She also realized that living in Los Angeles did not give her the easy beach access she expected.
Trips to Venice or Santa Monica can turn into major outings depending on traffic, she said, which defeated part of the reason she had moved from Ohio to California in the first place.
Orange County also puts her closer to her sister, her sister’s boyfriend and her own boyfriend, all of whom live around Newport Beach.
Brooke added that she preferred the gyms, Pilates studios and general lifestyle she had found there and viewed the move as an “upgrade” and a natural next step.
Her experience undercuts any simple claim that everyone leaving Los Angeles is fleeing California itself.
Sometimes the issue is not the state but finding a part of it that better fits the life someone actually wants.
Daniels Says People Have To “Pick Your Poison”
Daniels returned repeatedly to the idea that there is no perfect place to live.
California may have beautiful beaches, mild weather and highly desirable communities, but residents have to decide whether those benefits outweigh taxes, housing costs, congestion or political frustrations.
Others may happily pay the premium because they value the climate, cultural opportunities or proximity to the ocean more than they dislike those drawbacks.
That is ultimately what all three women illustrate, despite their very different reasons for moving.
One is trading California for space and lower costs in Wyoming.
Another left because she felt alienated by the state’s politics.
The third still loves California enough to remain there but has decided Los Angeles itself is no longer the right fit.
Daniels sees those stories as evidence that political leadership and high costs are pushing people away, while the creators themselves present a more varied picture.
For some, leaving California is an ideological decision. For others, it is financial, personal or simply practical.
And even among people ready to go, there is often something about California — the weather, ocean, home or lifestyle — that makes leaving much harder than the complaints alone might suggest.
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