# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/21 "2008-10-07T04:15:40Z")
Hands down, Hawaii is No 1. If I ever had to live in the US again, it would be Hawaii again. ---
**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, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/22 "2008-10-07T04:17:37Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > North Dakota > South Dakota > Arizona > Nevada > Indiana > Nebraska > Kansas > Utah That is a very low rating for Arizona. Care to explain why? I’ve never seen the great state of Arizona ranked below the Dakotas. ---
**Author:** ![Rachael\_Rage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Rachael\_Rage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachael_Rage)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/23 "2008-10-07T04:42:25Z")
1 to 28ish: Top half, plus California, Colorado and Hawaii, minus North Dakota and Michigan. 29ish to 50: the rest. I intensely dislike hot weather, and I’ve never heard anything particularly good about Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![T\_SQUARE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de053/32.png) [@T\_SQUARE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T_SQUARE)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/24 "2008-10-07T04:46:05Z")
OK, I’ll play. I made some assumptions though: 1. I have to live there at least 2 years 2. I can choose where in the state I want to live 3. My income is adjusted to account for cost of living 1- Florida 2- Texas 3- Colorado 4- Arizona 5- Hawaii 6- Oklahoma 7- Kansas 8- Missouri 9- Montana 10- New York 11- Alaska 12- Oregon 13- Washington 14- South Carolina 15- North Carolina 16- Idaho 17- Maryland 18- Virginia 19- Rhode Island 20- Connecticut 21- Massachusetts 22- Indiana 23- Maine 24- New Hampshire 25- Vermont 26- Tennessee 27- New Mexico 28- Kentucky 29- Nevada 30- Georgia 31- California 32- Illinois 33- Louisiana 34- Alabama 35- Minnesota 36- Pennsylvania 37- Ohio 38- Mississippi 39- Nebraska 40- Delaware 41- Arkansas 42- Wisconsin 43- Wyoming 44- Utah 45- West Virginia 46- South Dakota 47- Iowa 48- Michigan 50- North Dakota New Jersey ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/25 "2008-10-07T04:56:53Z")
1. Pennsylvania. It kind of kills me to admit it, but Philadelphia will always have a grasp on my heart. The rest of the state is nice, too, and if you slow down along the Turnpike, you can get some gorgeous scenery, meet some nice people, and see more cows than you want. There is a famous groundhog. Plus, if you’re an American history geek, you’ve got historic Philly, you’ve got Gettysburg, you’ve got pretty much the history of coal mining… 2. California. I don’t know it but I get the impression that anyone can find a comfortable place in California. 3. Colorado. Big urban center if that’s your thing. Lots of non-urban stuff as well. Mountains! 4. Arizona. Big urban center if that’s your thing. Lots of non-urban stuff as well. Desert! 5. New Mexico. Living here now, honestly ready to leave, but I know I’ll be coming back to visit. Mountains, desert, good food, a history of espionage. 6. D.C. Not a state, I love it anyway. 7. New York. 8. Ohio 9. Washington 10. Oregon 11. Illinois. 12-48. _shrug_ Midwest \> South. Alaska might be pretty nice. Hawaii would scare me. 12. Kentucky. Seriously…some OK camping and hiking, but nothing else. 13. Florida. Florida really does do crazy like nowhere else; I have numerous relatives who back me up on that. 14. New Jersey. I’m biased because I grew up there and hated it. What I miss about New Jersey: A couple friends, one particular pizza place. I thought for a while I missed the shore, then I realized other places have just-as-nice beaches, and you don’t need to pay to sit on them. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/26 "2008-10-07T05:00:43Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > …[H]ow would you rank them as far as desirable places to live?.. IMHO this is a question that results is meaningless answers. You need to have some kind of criteria; otherwise, it’s just subjective responses that really don’t tell us anything. Has anybody lived for an appreciable time in all fifty states (plus D.C., and hell, P.R. and the territories to boot)? If I got a job offer for a high-paying dream job with complete benefits, paid moving expenses, lots of vacation time, and free housing, I’d probably consider just about any state as most desirable. If you have particular concerns about a certain state (such as Ohio), then post an OP like “What good things can you tell me about Ohio.” Otherwise, convince me that the lists you get from others are actually meaningful to you. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/27 "2008-10-07T05:04:52Z")
Pennsylvania at the top, California at the bottom, the rest listed top to bottom from most rural to most urban. I generally dislike cities, I despise overbearing state governments, and I wouldn’t be caught dead in California, Illinois, New York or Massachusetts. Give me some simple living and a comparatively quiet area and I’m all set. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/28 "2008-10-07T05:24:37Z")
I just can’t do it by states. I have favorite spots within states. 1. Gibson County, Tennessee, mid-Twentieth Century 2. Natural Bridge, Waynesboro, Tennessee, mid-Twentieth Century 3. Camden, Maine 4. Concord, Massachusetts 5. Auburn, Alabama (and a certain beach further south on the Alabama coast) 6. The Natchez Trace Parkway (across Tennessee and Mississippi) 7. The squares of Savannah 8. a courtyard in the French Quarter in New Orleans 9. Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on a windy day 10. Rt. 2 through Vermont I haven’t made it out West. Think of the beauty I haven’t seen yet! **Oakminster** , you have kindred spirit friends in Nashville! ---
**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, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/29 "2008-10-07T05:27:17Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > IMHO this is a question that results is meaningless answers. You need to have some kind of criteria; otherwise, it’s just subjective responses that really don’t tell us anything. Has anybody lived for an appreciable time in all fifty states (plus D.C., and hell, P.R. and the territories to boot)? I’ve lived in: Arizona California Texas Florida Ohio Indiana I’ve spent considerable time visiting: Colorado New Mexico Oregon I have been to almost every other state for a shorter time. Heck, I thought this would be fun. Sure, if you gave me a million dollars, I’d move to West Virigina. With all of those mountains, there’s got to be some decent hiking there. But, I’d rather have 100k in Arizona. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/30 "2008-10-07T05:55:02Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Heck, I thought this would be fun. Try this: "In your opinion, what are the best three states to live in, and why? This is more meaningful (and “fun”) because you can be pretty sure that the state somebody has ranked in the lower twenty is a state that person probably doesn’t know, or that that person has some particular, idiosyncratic reason to dislike. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/31 "2008-10-07T05:55:11Z")
The top 10: 1. California. I am a native, and I want to go back! 2. Arizona. I like hot weather. 3. Colorado 4. New Mexico 5. Texas 6. Nevada 7. Ohio 8. Alabama 9. Kentucky 10. Wyoming The bottom 10: 1. Kansas 2. Nebraska 3. Florida 4. Oklahoma 5. Alaska 6. Maine 7. S. Dakota 8. N. Dakota 9. Idaho 10. New Jersey ---
**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, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/32 "2008-10-07T14:11:06Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > That is a very low rating for Arizona. Care to explain why? I’ve never seen the great state of Arizona ranked below the Dakotas. Maybe I just haven’t seen the best parts of Arizona. Or maybe I’ve _only_ seen the best parts of the Dakotas. (I sort of liked the Black Hills and the Badlands, and Bismarck seemed OK.) Actually, it’s mostly the heat. I look at the triple-digit temperatures posted regularly in Arizona and I think “No, thank you.” Anyway, please don’t take offense. The reasons are personal to me, and no reflection on Arizona. 🙂 ---
**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, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/33 "2008-10-07T14:23:20Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > Maybe I just haven’t seen the best parts of Arizona. Or maybe I’ve _only_ seen the best parts of the Dakotas. (I sort of liked the Black Hills and the Badlands, and Bismarck seemed OK.) > > Actually, it’s mostly the heat. I look at the triple-digit temperatures posted regularly in Arizona and I think “No, thank you.” > > Anyway, please don’t take offense. The reasons are personal to me, and no reflection on Arizona. 🙂 True, but Arizona isn’t just triple digit temperatures. [Flagstaff](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagstaff,_Arizona#Climate) has a very mild summers. One of the reasons Arizona and California are my top two states is I love the variety of climates available in a short distance. ---
**Author:** ![kenner116](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@kenner116](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenner116)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/34 "2008-10-07T15:35:57Z")
1. ``` New Jersey. An hour's drive to NYC, Philly, and the shore! Diverse, wealthy and (relatively) well-educated populace. ``` 2. ``` Washington (Western) ``` 3. ``` Hawaii ``` 4. ``` Oregon (Western) ``` 5. ``` Vermont ``` 6. ``` New York (NYC if I could double my income) ``` 7. ``` Pennsylvania (Southeastern) ``` 8. ``` California (Northern) ``` 9. ``` Massachusetts ``` 10. ``` Maryland ``` 11. ``` Connecticut ``` \*\*\*. DC 12. Virginia (Northern) 13. Rhode Island 14. Illinois (Chicagoland) 15. Delaware (New Castle County) 16. New Hampshire 17. Maine 18. Arizona 19. Florida (anywhere but northern) 20. New Mexico 21. Minnesota 22. Wisconsin 23. Colorado 24. Ohio 25. Michigan 26. North Carolina 27. Texas (Austin) 28. Iowa 29. Nevada (near Reno, possibly Vegas) 30. Utah 31. Missouri 32. Montana 33. Georgia 34. Wyoming 35. Nebraska 36. Idaho 37. Indiana 38. Alaska 39. South Carolina 40. Tennessee 41. Kansas 42. Arkansas 43. Kentucky 44. Louisiana 45. South Dakota 46. West Virginia 47. North Dakota 48. Oklahoma 49. Mississippi 50. Alabama ---
**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, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/35 "2008-10-07T15:39:01Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > If I got a job offer for a high-paying dream job with complete benefits, paid moving expenses, lots of vacation time, and free housing, I’d probably consider just about any state as most desirable. I totally get this. Upon reflection, I think I could make myself pretty damn happy almost anywhere with enough money. The rural desert would depress me (though I would love the rural forrest/countryside), and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere with extreme cold (AK interior, northern MN, parts of VT, etc), but with very few exceptions I could be happy as a clam in almost any state. But, guizot . . . > [@guizot](#): > > IMHO this is a question that results is meaningless answers. You need to have some kind of criteria; otherwise, it’s just subjective responses that really don’t tell us anything. Has anybody lived for an appreciable time in all fifty states (plus D.C., and hell, P.R. and the territories to boot)? > > If you have particular concerns about a certain state (such as Ohio), then post an OP like “What good things can you tell me about Ohio.” Otherwise, convince me that the lists you get from others are actually meaningful to you. > > Try this: "In your opinion, what are the best three states to live in, and why? > > This is more meaningful (and “fun”) because you can be pretty sure that the state somebody has ranked in the lower twenty is a state that person probably doesn’t know, or that that person has some particular, idiosyncratic reason to dislike. Don’t you think this is kind of rude? That’s some pretty aggressive hijacking, what with trying to rewrite the OP and all. He’s asking for opinions in the forum designed to ask for opinions. You’re more than welcome to start your own thread if this one is so meaningless and unfun to you. ---
**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, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/36 "2008-10-07T15:42:11Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > [Flagstaff](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagstaff,_Arizona#Climate) has a very mild summers. Flagstaff looks nice. Could change my perception. I’ll try to visit there sometime. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/37 "2008-10-07T16:30:05Z")
1.-49. No real preference 50. Texas ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/38 "2008-10-07T16:30:24Z")
1. Vermont/Colorado 2. California 3. Connecticut 4. Maine 5. Arizona 6. Oregon 7. Montana ---
**Author:** ![Frustrated\_Wonderer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a4c791/32.png) [@Frustrated\_Wonderer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frustrated_Wonderer)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/39 "2008-10-07T16:37:32Z")
Why so much dislike (in general) for Florida? Sure the northern part of Florida ain´t too cool, but other than that bit, it´s a fine state, IMHO. I do think laws in Florida are a little harsh. But it has nice weather, nice cities the people for the most part are nice. Can´t speak much about the other states though. I´ve only been to New York, Conneticut and Rhode Island. So yeah, I´ve still to see much of the states. ---
**Author:** ![Purgatory\_Creek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@Purgatory\_Creek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purgatory_Creek)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/40 "2008-10-07T16:41:51Z")
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