MidWest vs Socal

Ok... I'll be getting my next job in June. I know the company I want to work for and have good connections for jobs.

Two current jobs are being floated to me, one in the plains, within 5 hours of Chicago and one that is between San Luis Obispo and Ventura right on highway 1 in CA. Assuming salaries are adjusted according for cost of living, where would you live? Obviously my money will go a ton farther in the midwest..... It will be easier for her being close to her family, but to be fair, I really doubt how much we'll be making the 5 hour drive. Her brothers and sisters are all older and very busy exec types. So I feel like moving there for her family will not end in the great relationship she envisions; ya know?

Some Notes: I have a family, so access to good schools and making the wife happy are important. Her parents are also in Chicago. But, My wife is a Montessori teacher and there are tons of Montessori schools in that area of CA.

I am did the "move to a really awesome area" thing a while ago. We moved from Philly to Charleston SC and it was an awesome experience. We rented a place on the beach while the house was built and it was cool, but I'm not a super beach person. I get bored just sitting around so beach relaxation turns into frustrating lameo fests.

What say you people?

1st. Within 5 hours of Chicago is quite a large area.

I say go where you're salary takes you farther. Then you have money to go visit other places, save for early retirement, etc.

z31maniac wrote: I say go where you're salary takes you farther. Then you have money to go visit other places, save for early retirement, etc.

good point, the midwest location has a housing cost that is 1/3 the cost of the CA location. It is also a priority that my wife continue as a stay at home mom.

z31maniac wrote: 1st. Within 5 hours of Chicago is quite a large area.

Seriously. Could you narrow it down a bit? There's a huge difference between Southern Indiana/Illinios, Iowa farmland, and Detroit.

16vCorey wrote:

z31maniac wrote: 1st. Within 5 hours of Chicago is quite a large area.

Seriously. Could you narrow it down a bit? There's a huge difference between Southern Indiana/Illinios, Iowa farmland, and Detroit.

5 hours west of chicago.

That actually sounds much closer to Des Moines than Chicago.

My BiL (brother in law) lives out that way. I've been there a couple of times. It gets very cold in the winter, but in summer it's really nice.

There's not much between Des Moines and Chicago...

Ignorant wrote:

z31maniac wrote: I say go where you're salary takes you farther. Then you have money to go visit other places, save for early retirement, etc.

good point, the midwest location has a housing cost that is 1/3 the cost of the CA location. It is also a priority that my wife continue as a stay at home mom.

The wife and I thought about maybe Portland/Seattle since there is a ton of opportunities for Tech Writers there. When we looked at what it would cost to get a similar house, in similar proximity to the downtown areas (of where we currently are), we killed that plan.

We can be in downtown Tulsa in 15 minutes to go to the BOK Center, our favorite bars/restaurants, etc.

Even if you make more money, you have to spend a much larger portion of your income on housing/property taxes. Something we aren't willing to do.

What move does the most for the career? Is the cali company a bigger name/smaller name, known for more innovation. Is it near more similar businesses - clusters? If you go to so cal for a while are you more valuable later? If no inherent advantage to so cal other than warm weather, then stick with midwest.

CA. That's a nice area of the state, and LA isn't far away, so all the advantages of a big city will be much closer, and, personally, living in the mid-west away from seeing and being able to go to an ocean easily would be a deal breaker for me. As irrational as that may sound to some, it's important to many, many people. Wife and kids feel the same about the beach as you do?

Which company is expanding more than the other, which has been in business longer, and which has had the most changes on the Board of Director/CEOs? I'd go with the most financially viable company for such a long distance move. Congrats for getting out of Ct....

don't forget CA's smog laws....CA hates cars and the people who like them.

triumph5 wrote: CA. That's a nice area of the state, and LA isn't far away, so all the advantages of a big city will be much closer, and, personally, living in the mid-west away from seeing and being able to go to an ocean easily would be a deal breaker for me. As irrational as that may sound to some, it's important to many, many people. Wife and kids feel the same about the beach as you do? Which company is expanding more than the other, which has been in business longer, and which has had the most changes on the Board of Director/CEOs? I'd go with the most financially viable company for such a long distance move. Congrats for getting out of Ct....

Good Questions. Both jobs are with the same company. The Job in the midwest is at a plant and fits with my background more. The job in CA is at Corp HQ. Wife loves the beach. I like the mountains, hiking etc.

I work for the conglomerate that just purchased this small(ish) company and it looks like a great growth spot. I have enough ties with those at big corp HQ to pull myself back should something go south.

I guarantee it would take 3 times the salary in Ca as Chitown area to balance out. Don't know about Illinois, but Ca has a state income tax plus the tax the fool out of you for everything else.

IIRC it was about $400 to register my daugher's car in Ca where it would have been $35 here. Lots of "little" charges like that in Ca. that really eat up your pay check.

Then there's the minor detail that Ca is bankrupt (morally, politically and fiscally) and would you want to be a green weinnie?

But the weather would be nicer.

In reply to Ignorant: If you think the risk is worth it ( do the pro v. con thingy) with the smaller company, and you can ride it's growth on the way up, then there's you're answer--and you've got the ties with HQ in case all goes bad.

The wife thing, well, there are "beaches" along rivers in the midwest. OTOH, SoCal offers both within driving time in one day: mountains in the morning, evening at the beach. Carguy123 is right, make sure the salaries reflect the "real" cost of living at both spots.

IMO, I'd go with the growth opportunity if you're ambitious and want to do some climbing. Main HQ if you want to slow down a bit, and maybe make some points easier with the head honchos.

5 hours West of Chicago is Iowa

Iowa is not anything like Chicago. It would be easier to give sage advice with a more exact location.

Iowa is nice, and the midwest is full of really decent / honest/ well grounded people. If I was raising a family I'd want to do it in the Midwest.

SoCal has better weather, and more interesting topography.

I met and married my wife in San Diego. And we now live in Champaign, Illinois (2 hours from Chicago).

What are you doing? do you plan on having (or do you have) kids?

I would say California, but the MidWest is a great place to raise a family. so we are in midwest for that reason. We will make it back to California (or Hawaii, or Malasia,) once we retire.

The area you are talking about in California is one of the most expensive (real estate wise) areas California. That is of course for a reason, it is a very nice area. It will probably be very hard to find a house of any larger size (or larger garages) that you can afford (although you might be able to find some sort of ranch area more inland?). If you are able to buy a house there though, and you later leave California, it will likely give you a huge monetary boost when you leave.

One of the upside of course would be that there is a lot of money flowing around there, so the schools are likely very good. The networking opportunities could also potentially be very good.

There are also some very nice driving roads around there. If you watch a lot of car commercials, many of the ones with cars driving around in the beautiful country side are shot in that area. The combination of the rugged coast and rolling coastal hills can be impressive.

The weather there is typical coastal California, which means generally cool and a fair amount of fog, but very nice mild summers.

An interesting choice. As with many things, it all depends on what is most important to you.

When I was moving up the corporate ladder, my income (or lack of) required me to commute a pretty long distance every day. That was time I never got to spend with my young (at the time) family. My advise is to live as close as possible to your work location.

That area (Iowa) of the Midwest is sort of boring. California is insane. I could find things to do in Iowa.

Ignorant wrote:

z31maniac wrote: I say go where you're salary takes you farther. Then you have money to go visit other places, save for early retirement, etc.

good point, the midwest location has a housing cost that is 1/3 the cost of the CA location. It is also a priority that my wife continue as a stay at home mom.

Am I missing something here or wouldn't your salary adjustment be a true adjustment (same buying power in both locations)?

carguy123 wrote: I guarantee it would take 3 times the salary in Ca as Chitown area to balance out. Don't know about Illinois, but Ca has a state income tax plus the tax the fool out of you for everything else.

If its 3 times the salary in Ca to make the same as Chitown, its probably 5 times the salary in CA to make the same as 5 hours west of Chitown.

Being born and raised in the midwest, with plans to stay in the midwest, I'd say go with the midwest. But thats just me. Oh, and the drive from 5 hours west of Chicago to Chicago is really really berlying boring.

Visit the great lakes. You might be suprised how ocean like they can be.

RossD wrote: Visit the great lakes. You might be suprised how ocean like they can be.

Except if he is 5 hours west of Chicago, he is 5 hours away from the Great Lakes.

I grew up in Ventura and spent 20+years there, and lived in Cedar Rapids, IA for four years. I would pick California in a second. Yes, it's more expensive--a lot more expensive--but I enjoyed it a lot more. If you have any specific questions about that area of CA, I'll answer them as best I can.

One thing on kids in a small town, especially when they're teenagers: boredom. Boredom can lead to all kinds of ways to pass the time. From criminal activity of any and all kind, to a kid who never leaves his/her room while texting or "talking" on the computer all day.

I'm old enough to where none of this was available, or we could afford it, and living on the south shore of LI, I did a LOT of pleasure and competitive sailing during the non-frozen days; too cold, lots of photography and reading.

I've got a 15 year old nephew, whose father's job went poof when the company died. They live in the Arizona equivelant of Iowa. Small town, and Prescott, is the closest large town, about 50 min away. Thankfully he goes to a really good, very selective public high school that has after school activities to keep'em busy. When he attended the regular public high school, well, things went downhill quickly: acting out, "interesting" older friends...etc..

You might want to talk to what some of the employees kids at EACH location are doing for fun, how they're spending their time...etc...Talking to the school is OK, but frequently lots of BS. Talk to the kids. You DON'T want bored teenagers on your hands.

EDIT: I've lived in both locations. SoCal would win. San Diego's great.

BoxheadTim wrote: Am I missing something here or wouldn't your salary adjustment be a true adjustment (same buying power in both locations)?

Well let's put it this way.. If I didn't get that with the CA offer, it would be off the table.

Currently a move to the midwest at a flat salary would be about a 30% increase in buying power from CT. With a raise my buying power would extend even higher.

To make the projected buying power in CA the same as the midwest, well.. That would be near a 50% raise. I'll ask for it... but I got student loans to pay, so If I don't get it, I walk.