I have a lot of family in MN. A couple of observations
1) materialism is up in MN (BMW over Buicks) but it is still a lot lower than in CA
2) cost of living in MN is pretty high for the midwest (heating, taxes) so it’s not all roses
3) the twin cities has property that pencils (rent vs own). Wow, that’s novel compared to CA
4) don’t discount the natural beauty in MN (boundary waters, X-country skis in the winter)
5) the boy and toys boat / SUV culture is strong in MN
Placerville is an interesting choice. CA taxes but the mountain lifestyle