I'm sure you've already looked at cost-of-living differences. I don't know about Boston, but I know CA is a very expensive place to live. Keep that in mind.

Of course, unless you're in SoCal, the weather is generally nicer here than the Eastern Seaboard. Summer's less humid. Winter's less frigid. In SoCal the seasons are just "hot" and "hotter".

What area would you be looking at if you moved? SF Bay Area? LA? San Diego?