Living in California doesn't necessarily make people happier than living in the Midwest. People in both regions reported similar levels of overall life satisfaction. However, when asked to imagine someone similar to themselves living in the other region, they expected Californians to be happier. This is because they placed more importance on climate and cultural opportunities when thinking about life satisfaction in a different location. In reality, these factors didn't actually make Californians happier overall. So, judgments of life satisfaction in a different location can be influenced by a focusing illusion, where noticeable differences between regions are given more weight than they actually have in determining happiness.