California residents are moving to rural areas in Montana and Idaho, purchasing homes with underground bunkers due to dissatisfaction with high taxes, crime rates, and perceived lack of freedom. Todd Savage, a relocation consultant and former US Marine, reports that 80% of his clients come from California, seeking safer environments for raising families away from urban issues like drug-related violence. Properties in Idaho and northwest Montana can cost between $750,000 to $1.25 million, featuring sustainable farms with livestock and security features such as stockpiled weapons and ammunition.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-27,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Fed-up residents of California are relocating to rural areas in states like Montana and Idaho, purchasing homes equipped with underground doomsday bunkers for security. Todd Savage, a relocation consultant and former US Marine, reports that 80% of his clients come from California due to concerns over high taxes, crime, and restrictive freedoms. A recent client was a newly married couple who bought 20 acres in Idaho, complete with livestock, for around $750,000 to $1.25 million. Savage notes that the majority of his clients are now aged between their 30s and 50s, shifting from retirees to younger families seeking safer communities where they can raise children without fear of crime or political oppression.
Written for “Doomsday Preppers Moving West” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Fed-up residents fleeing dystopian California are buying homes in safer states with open rural spaces that come with underground doomsday-style bunkers stockpiled with weapons and ammo for security.
asserted
that → feed → security
Relocation consultant and former US Marine Todd Savage told the California Post 80 per cent of his clients are from the Golden State as they seek to escape “high taxes, high crime, low freedom and blue-haired liberals.”
asserted
they → tell → taxes
The 55-year-old said: “They are tired of it, so they are voting with their feet.
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they → say → feet
My clients want to raise children in a city where people don’t get kidnapped and murdered, with drugs and all kinds of lawlessness.
asserted
people → want → lawlessness
They say let’s go somewhere where we’re treated as a citizen and not a subject.
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we → say → citizen
“They want to take back control of their lives.
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They → want → lives
People just want to be free.”
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People → want → ?
He cited a recent “well to do” newly married California couple; online business owners seeking a safer place to live and raise a family who purchased 20 acres with chickens, goats and cows in Idaho.
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who → cite → Idaho
A “nice home” in northern Idaho and northwest Montana on ten to 20 acres can cost from $750,000 to $1.25 million, says Savage — a steep discount compared to eye-popping property prices in California.
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discount → cost → California
One of his companies, Strategic Relocation, offers customers “disruptive real estate in dangerous times.”
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One → offer → times
He added: “My clients move out of the city for a safe place to live.
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clients → add → place
They’ll build an off grid house with a bunker, guns and ammo on a sustainable farmstead.”
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They → build → farmstead
While his client base would previously skew towards people “ready to retire and move from a blue state to a red state,” today 70 per cent are aged in their 30s to 50s.
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cent → skew → 50s
The previously most quoted reason why residents fled California used to be the stratospheric taxes, says Savage – but “rampant” crime is now the biggest turn off.
“And they can’t defend themselves in California,” said Savage, who also runs Survival Realty.
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who → quote → Realty
“You can’t necessarily carry a gun everywhere you need to.
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you → carry → gun
It’s not a stand your ground state.
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It → ’ → ground
“If you get into a self-defense scenario and unfortunately have to shoot your attacker, they want to prosecute the victim.
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they → get → victim
It’s insane.”
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It → ’ → ?
Father-of-five Savage decamped from the Bay Area to Idaho in 2006 and cited such locations as Coeur d’Alene, Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry in the northern part of the Gem State as desirable.
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Savage → decamp → State
He described the area as “like Lake Tahoe without the liberals.”
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He → describe → liberals
He continued: “We’ve got two giant lakes.
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We → continue → lakes
We have a world-class ski mountain.
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We → have → mountain
And we have freedom.
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we → have → freedom
I live in a county where I can build a house without a building permit.
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I → live → permit
“Everybody gets along.
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Everybody → get → ?
People respect each other up here.”
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People → respect → other
Demand for a remote lifestyle has also increased since the Iran war started in February.
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war → increase → February
“Clients no longer trust any part of the government any more,” Savage said.
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Savage → trust → government
“They want that freedom that we used to have back in the 40s and 50s.
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we → want → 40s
They really just want to raise their families how they see fit and live a good life and you really can’t do that any more in California.
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you → want → California
It’s a nanny state.”
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It → ’ → ?
Another benefit of the homestead lifestyle is that clients can grow their own food “because of what’s happening to the food supply.”
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what → grow → supply
Savage’s strongest criticism was aimed at the state where he previously lived and its sprawling largest city.
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he → aim → state
“They spent $24 billion on the homeless crisis in the last few years in California and it’s not worked,” he said.
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he → spend → California
“You could build a city and give everyone a tiny house for that amount.”
uncertain
You → build → amount
And of the City of Angels he proclaimed: “I can’t take my kids and walk in downtown L.A. without worrying about getting murdered or kidnapped or shot.”
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I → proclaim → L.A.
The Aporia
