Moving to California: City Guides, Checklist & Tips
Updated July 2026
California charges the highest state income tax in the country — up to 13.3% on income over $1 million — and a BestPlaces cost of living index of 149.9, roughly 50% above the national average, before you even pick a city. Where you land changes the math sharply. San Francisco tops the list at an index of 245.5, a $1.3 million median home, and a median household income of $139,801 that reflects the tech and biotech pay built to cover it. Irvine, the master-planned Orange County city built around UC Irvine, runs a $1.2 million median home alongside a crime index of just 36 — less than half the national average. Oceanside, the most affordable of the three at an $873,000 median home, doubles as the civilian gateway to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, which draws roughly 70,000 personnel, dependents, and civilian workers through its gates daily. This hub collects our city-by-city relocation guides for California, plus the practical steps to become a resident.
California City Guides
San Francisco
The most expensive big city in America, and the deepest concentration of tech, biotech, and finance opportunity to match.
Read the San Francisco guide →Irvine
A master-planned Orange County city built around UC Irvine, with a crime index less than half the national average.
Read the Irvine guide →Oceanside
San Diego County beach access without San Diego County beach prices, and the civilian gateway to Camp Pendleton.
Read the Oceanside guide →San Diego
The operational nerve center of the U.S. Navy, paired with a $267 billion regional economy in defense, biotech, and tech.
Read the San Diego guide →
California Living and Vacationing Quick Reference
Living here
- State income tax
- Progressive, 1% to 13.3% — the highest top rate of any state, applying to income over $1 million
- Sales tax
- 7.25% statewide base rate, reaching 10.75% combined in some cities and counties
- Median home price
- About $776,000 statewide as of 2026 — $1.3 million in San Francisco, $1.2 million in Irvine, $873,000 in Oceanside
- Cost of living
- About 50% above the national average statewide (index 149.9); San Francisco runs far higher at 245.5
- Driver's license deadline
- 10 days after establishing residency — one of the shortest windows of any state — with vehicle registration due within 20 days
- Population
- About 39.5 million as of 2025, the most populous state in the country
Visiting first
- Main airport
- Los Angeles International (LAX), with major hubs also at SFO, San Diego, and Oakland
- National parks
- Nine — more than any other state — including Yosemite, Sequoia, Joshua Tree, and Death Valley
- Best scouting months
- April, May, September, and October — outside peak summer crowds and wildfire smoke season
- The fog, honestly
- San Francisco summer afternoons run cool and foggy — often in the 60s while inland valleys two hours away hit the 90s
- Wildfire season
- Fall brings elevated wildfire risk statewide, and smoke can affect air quality for days even far from the fire line
- Getting around
- I-5 is the main north-south spine; a drive from San Francisco to Irvine or Oceanside runs 6 to 8 hours without stops
How California Got Its Name
California is named for a fictional island. In the 1510 Spanish novel Las Sergas de Esplandián, author Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo invented an island called California, ruled by the Black warrior queen Calafia and populated entirely by women, east of the Indies. Spanish explorers who reached the Baja California peninsula in the 1530s believed they had found that island and the name stuck, long after the mistake was corrected. The state has carried a different distinction since 1953, when the California grizzly bear — extinct in the wild since the 1920s — became the official state animal, a bear that still guards the state flag but hasn't roamed the state itself in a century. Today California holds 44 military installations, more than any other state, and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton alone trains more than 40,000 Marines and sailors preparing to deploy.
How to Become a California Resident
Establishing residency unlocks a California driver's license, vehicle registration, in-state tuition, and resident access to state parks and programs. You establish residency in California by doing any one of the following — you don't need all of them:
- Renting or buying a house or apartment in California
- Working for a California employer
- Registering to vote in California
- Having a business located in California
- Enrolling children in a California primary or secondary school
- Spending more than 183 days (6 months) out of a 12-month period in California
California Moving Checklist
- Transfer your driver's license and register your vehicle — separate deadlines, see the quick reference above
- Update your car insurance policy to meet California requirements
- Register to vote at your new address
- Update your health insurance and other policies, and find new providers
- Transfer medical, dental, and school records, and enroll children in your new district
- License your pets and find a local veterinarian
- Set up utilities and file your change of address with USPS
- Review the tax picture: California's income tax runs from 1% to 13.3%, the highest top rate in the country
Questions Movers Ask About California
Does California have an income tax?
Yes — a progressive tax from 1% to 13.3%, the highest top rate of any state, applying to income over $1 million. Sales tax adds a 7.25% statewide base, reaching as high as 10.75% combined in some cities once local district taxes are added.
How expensive is it to live in California?
It depends heavily on the city. San Francisco carries a cost of living index of 245.5 — more than double the national average — with a median home near $1.3 million. Irvine runs an index of 185 with a $1.2 million median home. Oceanside is more moderate at an index of 154.9 and an $873,000 median home. Statewide, California sits at an index of 149.9, about 50% above the national average.
How long do I have to get a California driver's license after moving?
10 days. California requires new residents to get a California driver's license within 10 days of establishing residency — one of the shortest deadlines of any state — and to register any vehicle within 20 days.
Is California safe?
It varies enormously by city. Irvine's crime index of 36 — less than half the national average — makes it one of the safest large cities in the country. San Francisco's crime rate runs above the national average but has improved sharply, with 2024 property crime down 31% and homicides at a 60-year low. As in any state, the answer depends on the specific city and neighborhood.
How many national parks does California have?
Nine — more than any other state — including Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Death Valley, and Joshua Tree. Counting national monuments, seashores, and historic sites, California holds close to 30 National Park Service units in total.
Which California city should I move to?
It depends on what you're optimizing for. San Francisco offers the deepest tech, biotech, and finance job market at the highest cost of living in the state. Irvine pairs top-tier public schools with a crime index less than half the national average, built around UC Irvine and Orange County's biotech corridor. Oceanside is the value play for coastal living, and the civilian gateway for Camp Pendleton-affiliated families.
Moving to California from Another State?
We compare the two states side by side — taxes, housing, and what changes on day one:
Sources and Data Notes
Residency options, license and vehicle-registration deadlines, and tax rates on this page reflect requirements published by the California DMV, the Franchise Tax Board, and the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Cost, housing, and job-market figures draw on the public datasets used across ScoutLocale's city guides, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, BestPlaces.net, and Niche.com.
Comparing states? Browse moving guides for every state.