Not all taxes systems are equal. People HATE California's tax system. Contrary to Good-Expression's claim about the taxes being lower, California has a notoriously bad tax system that negatively impacts more than the wealthy. Plenty of people seek to leave the state because of the system.

I lived in the midwest (specifically, Michigan). The tax system was not as bad. I can say that we felt a change here in RI (sales tax is pretty bad here).