American Dopers (or those of you who might like to live here,) if money/employment was not an obstacle, which 5 states would you choose to make your home?
I’ll start:
New York
California
Florida
North Carolina (current residence)
Louisiana
Michigan - will always be “home” to me
Tennessee - current location
Georgia
Florida
Virginia
Washington (current)
Montana
Alaska
Colorado
New Mexico
Bliss followed by Oblivion but Im stuck in Confusion
Massachusetts
Connecticut
Vermont
New York
Washington State
Texas
Arizona
New Mexico
damn laptop.
Washington
California
California
Oregon
Washington
Alaska
Colorado
I really see no compelling reason to leave the West Coast. If I had to, I could deal with living in the Rockies. Alaska is just so ‘different’ that I think it would be almost like living in another country. Plus, it’s technically on the West Coast. 
My home state, California, pretty much has it all for me, but the runners up would include Utah, Florida, Hawaii, and Colorado.
California, Utah, Florida, Hawaii, and Colorado…
one of these things is not like the other…
as far as my list goes:
Texas
East Texas
South Texas
West Texas
Austin
All five of my choices would be anywhere in Texas.
[ol]
[li]Minnesota (home).[/li][li]Wisconsin (northern).[/li][li]Montana (western).[/li][li]Michigan (upper).[/li][li]Canada ;), but since Canada isn’t eligible, Washington.[/li][/ol]
Alaska just misses the cut because of its high cost of living.
About two years ago I compiled a list states that are above the median for educational attainment and life expectancy and below the median in crime. I came up with CT, ME, MA, MN, NH, VT, and NJ. All of them sound fine, except New Jersey of course. I’ll add Colorado to my top five even if it didn’t quite make the educational attainment cut in the data I was using. My top five:
New Hampshire
Alaska
Minnesota
Maine
Colorado
Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Hawaii, and Washington state are not far behind.
Hawaii! I forgot about Hawaii! :smack:
I’d officially like to boot Virginia and replace it with Hawaii.
Nevada (home)
Washington
South Dakota (only in the western part of the state)
Utah
Oregon
Bottom line: no income tax in my top three and in the West.
Utah has some of the best natural beauty and outdoor recreational opportunities you’ll find anywhere. Some people might have issues with Mormons, but in my many visits to the Beehive State I have found good people there. I once told my friends, and it’s mostly true: I think I could be happy working in a burger joint and living in Springdale the rest of my days.
1 - 4 = Texas! 5 = Arizona.
- Florida(Key West)
- North Carolina(current location)
- Georgia
- California(Northern)
- Wisconsin
NY
VT
CO
Then it gets a lot harder. Any other place in the Rockies is either too hot or too provincial. And I can barely stand the Southern Tier of NY, and PA is like the Southern Tier only moreso both geographically and culturally.
But I guess the fourth would be PA because of Philly.
I guess I don’t have a fifth*. Any other place I actively avoid, or would only want to visit there, or haven’t been to enough to make up my mind. Can I choose England? I’ve never been there but it looks pretty.
- I prefer wine.
+1