OK, I'm a California NATIVE but I moved away several years ago. Make sure when you do your research that you look at a LOT of things. Are there some cheaper places in CA? yes. But....what about weather? (some of the inland areas are STAGNANT and I could NEVER go back to that). Smog?? Some inland areas you will be lucky to see BLUE sky a couple weeks a year. Other things to think about that I've run into based on the state I live in: car registration (California sucks in this respect), taxes--sales, property, etc. One of the problems with poor California is that the state seems to jump from one natural disaster to another. I knew somebody once who thought we must all be living in the middle of a fire because there were so many reported that year! It's not that it's THAT bad, but between earthquakes, floods, fires, landslides, etc. the taxes keep going up and up in so many ways.
I would add Nevada to your research list too (in line with places like Arizona & New Mexico). And NOT Las Vegas or Reno--check out some of the other areas. Also...Idaho could be a possibility. Oh! which makes me add--politics--to your list. If you strongly political (either left or right) you should consider that with the region/town you move to. When I'm working on my wish list, I also list my hobbies and the kinds of places I couldn't live without or that need to be within an hour or two drive....like...hobby shop (for me quilting), pet store, is the hospital and or vet care up to snuff? Do you bowl? Like dancing? What about the school system if you have kids? If you're a smoker (or rather avid non-smoker) checking out the laws for that could be important too (like...here in Washington we just passed one of the strictest anti-smoking laws in the state). What about "high culture"--like to you feel that your life wouldn't be complete without an occasional trip to a live theater or concert? Etc., etc.
Can you tell I've moved states a few times??
I think each time I move my list is longer, but basically, I think it helps to look at more than just climate and housing--it's a really big quality of life thing. One of my favorite research sites is
http://homefair.com. They have a lot of calculators and resources to help you out