I am south of the Bay Area and there is nothing even resembling a shortage of small ICE-powered equipment. Yes the littler stuff under 40cc has been eliminated due to battery powered equivalents being available now.
As to moving to CA it really depends on where you want to move. I can drive 6 hours away and I feel like I'm in another country things are so different. Cost of living varies but it's only going up. Location, location, location. The local small engine repair shop is thriving, and has been for about 30+ years now. There are a TON of arborist/tree care companies within a 100 mile radius and with winter storms and wildfire mitigation efforts there is no shortage of tree work. The "dicky" part is when you get into larger machinery and the need to be Tier 4(?) or whatever compliant. The local repair shop did tell me of one instance where some nosy neighbor came out and informed the guy running a chipper that they knew it was not emissions compliant and that the police were on their way. I don't know the outcome of that situation but no state should encourage its citizens to rat on other people. I feel bad for the small operators who can't easily afford a new $45k chipper but that's the deal. And your large vehicle with GVWR of 14k+ had better have a DPF or it won't be registered here. I know someone who moved out from upstate New York and we can beach about things here as good as anyone but then he'll say "You gotta' admit though, the weather kicks azz." In any situation you have to evaluate the good with the bad and reach your own conclusion as to whether or not it's worth it. No offense intended here but there's no amount of money that will get me to move where it snows for months out of the year--I don't even own a single pair of pants. I'll know I'm getting old when I start shopping for pants.
