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Usually, a person "not from around here" will notice no difference when crossing a state line in any respect, except that the citizens often will express disdain for those on the other side of sad line.

Even going from California to Nevada, you don't see much difference because the folks in CA living nearer Nevada are often country folks anyway, aside from the Tahoe tourism thing.

You see difference driving from SF to the slopes of the Sierra.

This is a particularly good example of the sad line because the border between California and Nevada around Tahoe mostly relates to the legality of casino gambling--and the losses that come with it. Often a sad affair, particularly when returning to the California side. 

Much of California would fit in well culturally with Kansas or Wyoming. The part of California that defines the widespread perception of its culture is mostly within about 30 miles of the Pacific coast. 

Of course, here in my current home city, we can tell the difference between us and the crazy rich people immediately south, and the slightly less refined folks to our immediate north. People from farther away--like, say San Francisco to our north or Palo Alto to our south, can't seem to see any differences, and often confuse us all. Strange when the differences are so obvious to us.

Burlingame, I believe.  My step son lives in South Beach, SF proper.

He likes it.  It's his birthday today.  He works for some fruit company.