California Is Weirder Than Hollywood Lets On
Think you really know California? It's a state with coastal redwoods that could photobomb the moon, In-N-Out burgers that you'll have to devour to appreciate (and wait 45 minutes for), and avocados that are worshiped like green gold. Let's run through the facts, stats, and seismic gossip that showcase what makes California's kale smoothie glazed fever dream irresistible.
Jessica, Our Local Expert Guiding Your Move
Jessica is a born and raised Angeleno who has spent 30 years bouncing between East LA, the Westside, and the Valley, usually with a trunk full of boxes and a strong opinion about neighborhoods. She moved eight times between 2013 and 2023 and genuinely loves it, especially the decluttering part and the chance to reinvent herself with each new move. A former teacher of eight years, she has taught everyone from pre K kids learning their ABCs to high schoolers stressing over college essays. She loves California for the beaches, sunshine, hidden lakes, and hikes that feel like they belong in another state entirely. Her guilty pleasure is the Custard Front Drive donut from Donut Friend, she road trips whenever possible, and she is slowly working through a bucket list of every national park. She lives with two bonded cats, Marty the black cat and Jelly the tabby. At Snappy Scout, Jessica edits California guides with deep local instincts built over decades of real CA living.
Read moreWritten with local insight from Snappy Scout relocation experts
What Makes California California?
The weird, useful, and surprisingly relevant facts that shape everyday life here.
Common nicknames for California
The Golden State; Cali
Local reality check
Sure, it’s a beach lover's paradise, but there’s also fog, fires, earthquakes, high prices, snow capped Sierras.
You're most likely moving from
New York, Illinois, Oregon, Washington, and abroad.
Strangely large concentration of
Organic farmers markets, tech unicorns, In-N-Out lines, kombucha breweries.
Music scene
LA pop studios, Bay Area hip hop, Bakersfield sound, SoCal punk, Coachella.
You'll have to see it to believe it
Yosemite's Horsetail Fall glowing like fire each February during sunset.
Unique geography
Pacific Coast, Sierra Nevada, Central Valley, Mojave Desert, redwood giants, active faults.
California is home to
Silicon Valley, Hollywood, Disneyland, Napa vineyards, Yosemite, Stanford and UC campuses.
Well known for its
Carne asada tacos, tech innovation, national parks, sunshine, film industry, traffic, agricultural powerhouse.
Fun history fact
Gold discovered at Sutter's Mill in 1848 sparked the Gold Rush.
Celebrity sightings
Hollywood regulars at Erewhon, Lakers courtside cameos, tech billionaires at Philz in Palo Alto.
Noteworthy census stat
Most populous state, over 39 million residents (12.5 million just in LA’s metro area).
Most interesting sub-culture within California
Vanlife on Highway 1, Inland Empire car meets, Bay Area burner artists.
Population
1st by population, 3rd by land size
California is roughly the same geographic size as
Japan
Locals Know Best
Don’t sleep on the park and ride shuttles! They are available for concert venues and theme parks and have flexible schedules. You won’t have to worry about paying for inflated parking or walking half a mile to get to the entrance (and then back to your car at night). They are affordable and so convenient.
— Jessica Montes
California Local Expert
Ready to See If California Fits You?
Compare cities, check the routes, or head back to the full California guide for the bigger picture.