# Rank the 50 United States in your order of preference **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 7, 2008, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774 "2008-10-07T00:58:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/1 "2008-10-07T00:58:08Z")
Based on your opinions of the 50 United States, how would you rank them as far as desirable places to live? 1. California 2. Arizona 3. New Mexico 4. Ohio 5. New York 6. Massachusetts 7. Nevada 8. Florida 9. Texas 10. Georgia 11. Oregon 12. Colorado 13. Illinois 14. Minnesota 15. Washington 16. Hawaii 17. Wisconsin 18. Mississippi 19. Alaska 20. Louisiana 21. Alabama 22. Missouri 23. Pennsylvania 24. North Carolina 25. Virginia 26. Maryland 27. New Jersey 28. Connecticut 29. Indiana 30. Idaho 31. Michigan 32. Rhode Island 33. Tennessee 34. Idaho 35. Utah 36. Delaware 37. Montana 38. Iowa 39. Nebraska 40. Vermont 41. New Hampshire 42. South Carolina 43. Oklahoma 44. Kansas 45. Wyoming 46. Kentucky 47. North Dakota 48. South Dakota 49. Arkansas 50. West Virginia I’d put the District of Columbia around #6 or so on my list. ---
**Author:** ![aerodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f08c70/32.png) [@aerodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aerodave)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/2 "2008-10-07T01:11:50Z")
As a native West Virginian, I’ve got to ask why WV is #50. I mean, it’s far down on my list too…but dead last? Worse than North Dakota?! ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/3 "2008-10-07T01:29:21Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > 1. Ohio Sell me on Ohio being 4th, if you would. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/4 "2008-10-07T01:47:29Z")
> [@Shamozzle](#): > > Sell me on Ohio being 4th, if you would. I’ve lived in Columbus twice and Cleveland once. Living in Columbus as an adult, I loved how inexpensive it is. I’m a huge sports fan and there are plenty of college and pro sports in Ohio. The weather has four seasons, but none of them are extreme. If I didn’t love the Southwest as much as I do, I"d probably still be there. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/5 "2008-10-07T01:50:04Z")
1. California 2. Washington 3. Nevada 4. Alaska 5. Texas Everything else is fucking Iowa. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/6 "2008-10-07T01:51:19Z")
> [@aerodave](#): > > As a native West Virginian, I’ve got to ask why WV is #50. I mean, it’s far down on my list too…but dead last? Worse than North Dakota?! West Virgina has always seemed like the most isolated state in the United States. It has always seemed like a place where people never leave but no one ever comes. The mountains are appealing, but the poverty that I’ve seen in the state was just appalling. ---
**Author:** ![Influential\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Influential\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Influential_Panda)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/7 "2008-10-07T01:52:35Z")
Google "[“thank god for mississippi”](http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en-us&q=thank+god+for+mississippi&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8) and see if you still think it ranks in 18th. Also, you managed to miss Maine. The mind boggles at how. There are certainly only fifty states. ---
**Author:** ![incidental](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/22d042/32.png) [@incidental](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/incidental)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/8 "2008-10-07T01:53:48Z")
I too would like to hear why Ohio is #4. Especially since PA (#23) and Indiana (#29) are quite similar to Ohio, as far as I can tell. ---
**Author:** ![bannerrefugee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c68b51/32.png) [@bannerrefugee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bannerrefugee)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/9 "2008-10-07T01:56:17Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Based on your opinions of the 50 United States, how would you rank them as far as desirable places to live? It depends a lot on where in the state. I am in the worst part of Texas, but Austin or San Antonia might be cool. Likewise there are a lot of shit places in SC, but Charleston would be great. Atlanta has really improved a lot in the last decade and Savanna has its charms. Valdosta has not. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/10 "2008-10-07T01:57:01Z")
1. Any state with at least one SEC football team in it. 2. Texas–not in the SEC, but reasonably close and arguably semi-Southern. 11-50) Who cares? They aren’t in the SEC, and are probably cold, do not serve sweet tea, can’t cook grits, talk funny, talk too fast, and are far from my home. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/11 "2008-10-07T02:00:04Z")
1. DC 2. The blue states 3. The red states 4. Texas ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/12 "2008-10-07T02:02:35Z")
> [@Influential\_Panda](#): > > Google "[“thank god for mississippi”](http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en-us&q=thank+god+for+mississippi&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8) and see if you still think it ranks in 18th. > > Also, you managed to miss Maine. The mind boggles at how. There are certainly only fifty states. Oops. I was cutting and pasting, and left out Maine. Maine should be 34 instead of Idaho twice. I did some contract work for the State of Mississippi about ten years ago. The climate and the lack of a major urban area works against it. But, I loved the time I spent there. I’ve sat in the stands for Ole MIss football games and met a lot of nice people there. Low cost of living. Love those $50.00 hotel rooms. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/13 "2008-10-07T02:04:06Z")
> [@bannerrefugee](#): > > It depends a lot on where in the state. > > I am in the worst part of Texas, but Austin or San Antonia might be cool. I’ve lived in Dallas and that was pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/14 "2008-10-07T02:11:51Z")
I’ve thought about this before and I always eventually come to the conclusion that if I had my way (meaning if I was rich), I would have houses in several states. I guess #1 would be some of the nicer areas of California, but I wouldn’t live there unless I was rich, #2 would be NY (Manhattan) but ditto about not living there unless rich. Number 3 is home sweet home, I guess. I like Florida, Ohio (it’s “classic middle America” as one of my good friends from Ohio puts it), CO, WA, parts of New England . . . the rest is fucking Iowa, as Silenus puts it :). ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/15 "2008-10-07T02:40:53Z")
**New Jersey** Hawaii (If independently wealthy) New York Maryland Connecticut Pennsylvania Illinois Washington Oregon California (Northern) Rhode Island Massachusetts Delaware North Carolina Virginia South Carolina Georgia West Virginia Indiana Ohio Vermont New Hampshire Kentucky Louisiana (has to be New Orleans and in a high spot) Missouri Tennessee * * * Texas Arizona New Mexico Oklahoma Kansas Wyoming Alaska Michigan Florida Montana Idaho Iowa Nebraska Colorado Nevada North Dakota South Dakota Minnesota Wisconsin Mississippi Alabama Arkansas Utah ---
**Author:** ![bannerrefugee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c68b51/32.png) [@bannerrefugee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bannerrefugee)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/16 "2008-10-07T02:46:14Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I’ve lived in Dallas and that was pretty good. Good flight connections anyway 🙂 tastes vary, it is a stupid question ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/17 "2008-10-07T03:23:28Z")
> [@aerodave](#): > > As a native West Virginian, I’ve got to ask why WV is #50. I mean, it’s far down on my list too…but dead last? Worse than North Dakota?! West Virginia recently became 49th in most things, above Mississippi and below my beloved Arkansas. Arkansas was the 15th wealthiest state in the nation before the Late Unpleasantness. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/18 "2008-10-07T03:28:27Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Everything else is fucking Iowa. 😛 [QUOTE=Cisco] the rest is fucking Iowa [/QUOTE] ’ Iowa is such a slut !!11!!1 ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/19 "2008-10-07T04:02:41Z")
Among others, I took into account the following criteria: -taxes (I like 'em low, especially income taxes) -economy (I like it strong) -politics (I lean moderately libertarian) -education (I’m for it) -health (for that too) -crime (against it) -cost of living (I like it low) -climate (I can’t abide heat and humidity) -topography (I don’t like flat) -population density (I like my elbow room) -and an entirely subjective gut feeling of how neighborly the residents are Some criteria aren’t as important to me as they might be to other people (famous opera companies, professional sports franchises, bars per square mile, etc.). I compared what I consider to be the best regions of each state. For example, parts of Wyoming are way too dry and economically depressed for my taste (e.g., Rawlins), but Wyoming ranks high because the best parts (e.g., Laramie) are much more to my liking. 1. New Hampshire Alaska Wyoming Washington Minnesota 2. Maine South Dakota Idaho Colorado Vermont 3. Wisconsin Indiana Nevada Montana Hawaii 4. Illinois Arizona New Mexico Tennessee Delaware 5. Pennsylvania North Carolina West Virginia Utah Oklahoma 6. Connecticut Ohio Florida Missouri Virginia 7. Michigan North Dakota Oregon Rhode Island Iowa 8. California Massachusetts Nebraska Kansas Georgia 9. Maryland New York Texas New Jersey South Carolina 10. Kentucky Arkansas Alabama Louisiana Mississippi ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/20 "2008-10-07T04:02:46Z")
Georgia Tennessee North Carolina Virginia Colorado New Mexico Illinois Massachusetts Florida (but only certain parts) Kentucky Oregon Washington Texas California Montana Idaho Wyoming Alabama (_northern_ AL) Louisiana Arkansas New York New Jersey New Hampshire Rhose Island Vermont West Virginia Pennsylvania Michigan (da UP) South Carolina Oklahoma Wisconsin Mississippi Ohio Connecticut Maine Maryland Iowa Delaware Minnesota Missouri Hawaii Alaska North Dakota South Dakota Arizona Nevada Indiana Nebraska Kansas Utah [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774.md?page=2)