So if I'm interpreting correctly, you're looking for a new city/state to move to, and cost of living is certainly going to be a concern. In that case, my universal first rule (courtesy of a few of my friends and most of my relatives) would be to avoid settling down in California at all costs.

Nevada has a reasonably low cost of living (with the possible exception of the Lake Tahoe area), though you might be able to do better in several of the other states on your road trip. I'm thinking most likely certain parts of Texas, as there's been a trend of smaller businesses leaving CA and moving to NV and TX over the last few years.