If I had the choice between living along the California coastline I'd take that any day over the inversion and Mormon social structure of Utah. I don't hate Utah but it's kind of a necessary evil if you're a poor college student working your way through school. I lasted 2 years there and then bounced.

Now, I live in Colorado and I love it. It's not California but I still enjoy it, in large part because we don't have some of the issues Utah does with air quality and the church culture. California has it's problems but the main thing keeping me away is that my $500k house in Colorado would cost 2-3 times that amount in Ventura County. All things equal between California and anywhere else, I'd go California all day.