Interesting. Still, Google the u.s. & World Report ranking of State education systems. California ranks at least a moderate 21st in the nation, where is Texas ranks a rather dismal 34th.
No note about health insurance coverage from anyone I see.
I found this source. California is dragged up by its #4 ranking for colleges (which is a great deal less important for residents than K-12 on account of choice and how it affects everybody). Its K-12 ranking (37th) on this source is also lower than Texas (33rd).
I obviously give California credit for creating an incredible public college system (with some help from the likes of Stanford, Pepperdine and the plethora of Catholic colleges up-and-down the state) since this attracts permanent residents who will be providers of the innovation that drives the state's economy. New Jersey has the exact opposite problem of losing talent to everywhere else despite its incredible K-12 ranking, so it's a valid economic strategy assisted by corporate capital. But in spite of having ~10% of the top high schools in the country for the children of its richest residents, the rest of the K-12 system is rated as subpar for the rest of the people who are already there. It's a tale of severe inequality where even the very strong top can't bring the overall averages up very much.
I am in complete agreement with you on healthcare. California is clearly superior in that respect.
