# List the Top 5 states you would live in **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 13, 2013, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167 "2013-08-13T23:50:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167/61 "2013-08-14T21:47:25Z")
California Oregon Washington Alaska New Hampshire (current) ---
**Author:** ![catnoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@catnoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catnoe)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167/62 "2013-08-14T22:03:18Z")
I’m surprised by how many folks put North Carolina on their list. Was gone for 22 years and did not intend to come back but spent the money from the sell of our house on a cross-country trip and since broke came back to where the family was in case we needed someone to lean on. Grew up outside Winston-Salem, resettled in Greensboro, preferred town if I had to come back. So… Money not an issue? Washington, DC (Eastern Market/Capitol Hill area) Texas (Austin/hill country or West Texas) California (most anywhere north of SF) Tennessee (Hubby’s preference - Memphis or somewhere in the mountains) Maine (never been there but a small coastal town sounds nice) But if money was no issue I’d move back to southern Italy even with all it’s problems and quirks. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167/63 "2013-08-14T22:40:16Z")
Alaska Oregon Washington California Hawaii Honourable mentions; Utah, Nevada. I guess I dig the west coast vibe and the freak states. You guys really push the boat out when it comes to national parks, too. Some incredible scenery out there (not that the other states don’t, but I could only pick 5). ---
**Author:** ![moejoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@moejoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejoe)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167/64 "2013-08-15T02:23:41Z")
Oregon (current) Washington Manhattan California (native) Vermont (if I ever decide to pitch it all and go off grid) ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167/65 "2013-08-15T07:49:02Z")
1. California (SoCal, Central Coast, Bay Area just about anywhere along the coast) 2. New York (NYC, Long Island, or Westchester County) 3. Massachusetts (Boston Metro area) 4. Washington (Seattle metro) 5. Connecticut (NYC suburbs) Honourable Mentions: Oregon, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Colorado ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167/66 "2013-08-15T10:14:33Z")
So far, I’ve only lived (long term) in 5 states: Alphabetically those are: 1. Arizona 2. Arkansas 3. Louisiana 4. Texas 5. Washington I’ve had extensive (\> 2 weeks) business travel in: 1. California 2. Utah 3. Connecticut So I only have “real-world” experience with 8 states. My top 5 would be: 1. Texas (by far the best place we’ve experienced) 2. Arkansas (the most beautiful and uncrowded) 3. Florida (Keys only) 4. Arizona (on the rim, not in the valley) 5. I have no idea… North Carolina I guess. Like Arkansas, but with a beach. ? ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167/67 "2013-08-15T11:28:39Z")
New York Vermont Pennsylvania Maryland California Honorable mention: New Jersey (parts of it but not other parts, duh!) ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167/68 "2013-08-15T13:31:18Z")
I’ve lived In California (9 years), Colorado (8 years), New Mexico (2 years) and Texas (1 year). I moved around texas spending 3-6 months each in Houston, Corpus Cristie and Midland. I lived in souther Colorado for 4 years but worked in Northern New Mexico and split my time on weekends down there with my friends so I gave New Mexico two years. If I could avoid it I’d never go back to Texas or New Mexico. 1. California (Santa Barbara) 2. Colorado (Durango) 3. Idaho (Coeur d’Alene) 4. Montana (Flathead Lake area) 5. New Hampshire/Washington (I’m want to be on the coast but I have no reason to choose between these two. The rain in Washinton would get to me eventually I think but I know nothing about the east coast.) ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167/69 "2013-08-15T14:48:01Z")
1. North Carolina (Everywhere I have ever resided is a 75 minute drive from my current house in Greensboro, and in NC). 2. Georgia (Near Athens, I think - close enough to Atlanta that I can catch 10-20 Braves’ games a year, but far enough away not to have to deal with the ATL traffic). 3. Pennsylvania (I have a secret desire to become a licensed Gettysburg tour guide after I retire). 4-5. NC again. Other than those three, I don’t have any desire to move elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167/70 "2013-08-15T16:35:12Z")
Oregon California (San Diego area only) Washington Vermont (maybe not all winter, though) Colorado (which might happen) ---
**Author:** ![vontsira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/51bf81/32.png) [@vontsira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vontsira)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167/71 "2013-08-15T20:28:29Z")
Am not American: but like climatically cool-ish, wild, forested places, near the ocean. So – given “the impossible chance” – in no particular order: Alaska Washington State Oregon California (northern part thereof) Maine ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167/72 "2013-08-15T20:36:02Z")
Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii NC (live there now) Michigan (grew up there … but wifey can’t take the winters) Too bad I couldn’t get a decent job in HA. Plus it’s too far from family. Really, there are lots of states I’d love, especially coastal or mountainous ones (and definitely including the “North coast”). I’d probably really like Madison WI. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167/73 "2013-08-15T20:41:34Z")
In no particular order: [ul] [li]Colorado[/li][li]Oregon[/li][li]Washington[/li][li]New Mexico[/li][li]New York [/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167/74 "2013-08-15T21:23:49Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > as far as my list goes: > > Texas > East Texas > South Texas > West Texas > Austin So, just to be clear - Baja Oklahoma and you are good? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167/75 "2013-08-15T21:28:48Z")
New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Maryland Connecticut If I can’t hop a bus and get to NYC in less than two hours, I ain’t living there. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167/76 "2013-08-16T03:05:22Z")
Washington Oregon Wyoming Colorado Maine I live in and love the Desert Southwest and by all rights Arizona and New Mexico should both be on this list, but I’ve had it with the creepy-crawlies. ---
**Author:** ![stoplight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@stoplight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stoplight)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167/77 "2013-08-16T03:55:21Z")
Califorinia, Southern I could never leave the west coast beach scene, but should I ever grow a wild hair… Alaska, have been, not sure I like being part of the food chain but it is the last frontier. Oregon along the coast Washington, Peugeot Sound area Baja Sur California, deep south near Lands End in Cabo 😃 ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167/78 "2013-08-16T03:56:42Z")
1. Tennessee (current) 2. Texas (likely where I’ll retire, Houston or Austin) 3. Oregon (I like the Portland area) 4. California (central or northern) 5. North Carolina ( I like both the coast and the mountains) I don’t want to live anywhere that gets considerable snow. Yes, there are mountainous areas in all of these states that get some snow, but that isn’t where I want to reside full time. ---
**Author:** ![Rhodes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhodes/32/273_2.png) [@Rhodes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhodes)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167/79 "2013-08-16T15:09:35Z")
1. Texas, because that’s where I am now and I HATE moving. 2. Utah, because I’ve got friends and family there. And for no particular reason, 3. Alaska 4. Montana 5. Oregon ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2013, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167/80 "2013-08-18T09:37:06Z")
Illinois (Chicago) California (San Francisco) Massachusetts (Boston) New York (NYC) Oregon (Portland) Any big city in a blue state would be acceptable. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-top-5-states-you-would-live-in/666167.md?page=5)