A family moved to the Bay Area from Georgia for a better quality of life. They pay more than double for housing, but they’re happier.

Xyndi Lomboy and her family moved to Millbrae, California, from Roswell, Georgia. She says it’s more expensive but has a better quality of life.

Xyndi Lomboy and her family moved to California from Georgia in 2023. She said they couldn’t be happier with the decision, despite the increased costs.

Lomboy and her husband, Eric, briefly lived in the Bay Area from 2014 to 2017 before relocating to Roswell, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. While in Roswell, they bought a home and had a son, but something didn’t feel right, Lomboy said.

“We were not really happy,” she said. “We just felt like we were stuck.”

When they made the decision to move back to California, they sold their Roswell home and drove across the country to start anew on the West Coast. Now, the family resides in Millbrae, a city near San Francisco. And while things such as groceries and housing are less affordable, the family feels much happier than they did in Georgia.

While the Lomboys moved last year, California saw an influx of new residents from 2021 to 2022 — 475,803 people moved into the state during this time, including 11,002 people making the journey from Georgia, according to the most recent available data from the US Census Bureau. California had the third-largest influx of residents behind Florida and Texas during that time.

To be sure, 817,669 people left California from 2021 to 2022, according to Census data.

The Lomboys moved to California because they enjoyed the Bay Area’s tame weather, diversity of cuisines, and access to state forests and parks.

And as they raise a family, Lomboy prefers California’s policies toward maternity leave and healthcare to Georgia’s.

Real estate in California is more expensive than in Georgia

The Lomboys bought their home in Georgia for about $455,000 in 2018. It was a 4,200-square-foot house with five bedrooms and 3 ½ bathrooms. They paid a monthly mortgage of about $2,300.

Lomboy said they enjoyed living in Roswell because of the school system and pleasant neighborhood. However, she said the family felt stuck and was uncertain about their long-term careers in Georgia. In 2021, they began conversations about moving.

While they loved Georgia, she said, they frequently reminisced on life in California and wanted their son to experience the West Coast. Lomboy is from the Philippines and believes the diversity in the Bay Area is more reflective of home.

In 2023, they sold their house in Roswell for $655,000. Lomboy said they sold for $15,000 less than their asking price but were able to sell the home in just a week.

“We were just kind of ready to go, so we were OK with it,” Lomboy said.

Eric is from Georgia, and his family lives throughout the state. Lomboy also has family in Georgia, and she said living farther away from them was the most difficult aspect of moving.

Life in California is costly but worth it

In Millbrae, the Lomboys rent a 1,380-square-foot townhouse with three beds and two bathrooms. They pay $4,700 monthly, more than double their mortgage in Georgia.

Groceries are more expensive, too. For example, their son drinks soy milk, which costs about $5.49 in California compared to about $4.39 in Georgia, Lomboy said. Gas in California is also more expensive than in Georgia, she said.

What’s more, California has the highest state-level sales tax at 7.25%, compared with Georgia’s 4%, according to the Tax Foundation, a policy institute.

The Lomboys moved to Millbrae last year for a better quality of life. They moved with their son and two dogs.

Lomboy and her husband both work at Sutter Health, a healthcare company that operates clinics throughout Northern California. Lomboy is an occupational therapist who treats hand injuries, while Eric is a gastrointestinal nurse.

Lomboy makes 50% more an hour in California than in Georgia, and Eric makes 76% more an hour, which slightly eases their concerns about the cost of living.

To adjust to higher expenses, however, the Lomboys have also learned to scale back. They love to eat out but have cut back on restaurant dining since moving to California, Lomboy said.

The influence of state politics

Lomboy said one of the most unexpected parts of moving states was the practical cost of the move, from boxing up the house to transferring their belongings to California from Georgia.

Nonetheless, they think they made the right decision as they feel happier and more fulfilled in California, Lomboy said.

While they’d like to eventually own a home, they’re set on renting for the foreseeable future. And Lomboy said there were positive surprises to renting.

As homeowners, repairs and maintenance were much more of a headache, she said. Having a landlord in Millbrae has helped simplify things as they adjust to new jobs.

In California, the Lomboys are active and spend time outdoors, which has improved their quality of life. The year-round weather is tamer in California than in Georgia, and they enjoy camping, hiking, and snowboarding.

Lomboy said one of the biggest benefits of California is the state policy toward paid maternity leave, especially since Georgia doesn’t have a mandated state-wide law for paid parental leave.

She also feels her family has better healthcare insurance options in California than in Georgia. As she and Eric raise a family, state policies toward employees are paramount, she said.