Music manager Liz Kamlet relocated her family from Los Angeles to Colorado after stating her annual living expenses approached $300,000 [1].
The move highlights the growing tension between high-earning professionals and the escalating cost of living in major U.S. coastal hubs. As housing and childcare costs rise, even those with significant incomes are seeking more affordable alternatives in the interior U.S.
Kamlet shared her experience in an Instagram video that went viral in early 2024 [1]. She said how the combined costs of housing, childcare, and daily expenses became unsustainable for her household.
"It costs almost $300,000 a year to live in Los Angeles, so I decided to move my family to Colorado," Kamlet said [1].
In a separate account, she said that the price of housing, childcare, and everyday expenses in L.A. added up to nearly $300,000 annually for her family [2]. The specific breakdown of these costs was not provided, but the total prompted the decision to leave California entirely.
Kamlet's transition from one of the most expensive cities in the U.S. to Colorado reflects a broader trend of domestic migration. Families are increasingly weighing the professional advantages of cities like Los Angeles against the financial strain of maintaining a middle-class or upper-middle-class lifestyle in those regions.
While Los Angeles remains a primary hub for the music and entertainment industries, the financial burden of residency is driving some professionals to remote work or relocation. Kamlet's viral account serves as a case study in the economic pressures facing families in the current California real estate market [1].
“"It costs almost $300,000 a year to live in Los Angeles, so I decided to move my family to Colorado."”
This relocation illustrates the 'cost-of-living cliff' where high nominal salaries are neutralized by extreme regional inflation in housing and services. When professionals with high earning potential find the cost of basic necessities like childcare and rent prohibitive, it suggests a systemic affordability crisis that extends beyond low-income brackets, potentially accelerating the migration of talent from coastal cities to the Mountain West.
