State By State – California

California:
Population: 34 million+.
Population Density: 214 per square mile (Rank 1 of JWR’s top 19 states).
Area: 158,706 square miles (rank 3 of 50).
Average car insurance cost: $765/yr. (rank 23 of 50).
Average home insurance cost: $592/yr. (rank 9 of 50),
Crime Safety Ranking: 39 of 50.
Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 30%.
Per capita income: $32,149 (rank 8 of 50).
ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 37 of 50.
Plusses: Mild climate and a long growing seasons in most parts of the state. High wages.
Minuses: Excessive population density, high crime rate, copious smog, high cost of living, aggravating traffic, earthquake prone, over-inflated real estate prices, expensive building permits, restrictive zoning, high sales tax (as much as 8.5% in some counties!), draconian gun control laws, MTBE-tainted municipal and well water, high income and property taxes, multiple terrorist and WWIII targets, mediocre public schools, a cluttered radio spectrum, a state budget crisis that has reduced the state’s bonds to junk bond status, a proliferation of anti-small business and environmental regulations, exploding illegal immigration, anti-home schooling legislators, expensive car registration, high car insurance rates, the highest worker’s compensation insurance cost in the nation ($5.23 per $100 in payroll!), high health insurance rates, a very litigious and biased court system, and an ever-expanding socialistic Nanny State. California K-to-12 students ranks 48th of the 50 states in academics. California is definitely not recommended, except perhaps for those committed to the anti-gun pacifist school of survivalism and willing to home school their kids, and then only in the most remote portions of the state–far northern California. (Such as Humboldt, Modoc, or Trinity County) or perhaps the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.(Such as the Bishop or Lone Pine areas.)
JWR’s Combined Retreat Potential Ranking: 19 of 19.

JWR adds: I included California in my rankings of 19 states partly to show some contrasts to the other states listed. Because so many SurvivalBlog readers live in California, I hope that this serves as encouragement for them to "vote with their feet."