# 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:** 18\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/101 "2008-10-10T06:33:47Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > That seems odd. > Canada is cold. Hawaii is hot. > Canada is populated sparsely with folks in furs. Hawaii is populated densely with folks in grass skirts. > Canada is mostly inland. Hawaii is a group of islands. > Please, enlighten me.šŸ™‚ Not meaning to hijack, or even to dump on the US of A Canada is a liberal democracy with socialized medicine and gun control. It is, however, freakinā€™ cold. Hawaii is hot with good surfing. As soon as Hawaii becomes part of a liberal democracy with socialized medicine and gun control, it will rocket to the top of the my list. šŸ˜‰ Having a Queen may help. Whoā€™s LiliŹ»uokalaniā€™s heir? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/102 "2008-10-10T07:06:58Z")
> [@Sublight](#): > > I probably should have added another criteria: no sun. Sounds ridiculous, I know, but there it is, Iā€™m UV-avoidant. Iā€™ve been to Arizona before: I spent a few days in July many years back driving from Mesa Verde, CO to the Grand Canyon, then down to Phoenix and Tuscon and on to El Paso, TX. Flagstaff and the GC werenā€™t half bad, but the rest just wasnā€™t where Iā€™d want to spend my life. I hear ya. Iā€™m exactly the same way. 50-60 degrees and partly cloudy is pretty much my ideal climate. Arizona is near the bottom of my list for those reasons. I mean, yeah, itā€™s beautiful, I just donā€™t like deserts and constant sun. I need wetness and rolling, verdant hills. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/103 "2008-10-10T10:23:02Z")
Ranking of states Iā€™ve lived in: 1. New Jersey (BIG, BIG LOVE for Jersey!) 2. (Southern) California 3. Utah 4. Idaho 5. Ohio \*In line with the ā€œJerseyā€ conversation, I canā€™t say enough about how much I love it here; it feels like ā€œcoming home,ā€ though I have no reason to feel so as a Western USā€™er. I miss the West, especially mountains, but Central Jersey is unspeakably gorgeous. With inclusion of states Iā€™ve spent some time in, but havenā€™t been a resident of: 1. New Jersey 2. (Eastern) Pennsylvania (I work in Pennsy) 3. California 4. Minnesota 5. Idaho 6. Utah 7. Colorado 8. Ohio ā€œHell, no!ā€ States from brief experiences: 1. Nevada 2. Oklahoma 3. Texas 4. Missouri 5. Kansas 6. Arizona ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/104 "2008-10-10T10:30:32Z")
What is up with Pennsylvaniaā€™s alcohol laws anyways? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2008, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/105 "2008-10-10T16:07:25Z")
> [@Sublight](#): > > Also, after living all my life in Boston and Tokyo, I donā€™t count being more than a couple of hours away as ā€œnear the oceanā€. Well, that takes away Vermont, northern New York, and parts of every other state on your list. ---
**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 10, 2008, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/106 "2008-10-10T16:19:39Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > Having a Queen may help. Whoā€™s LiliŹ»uokalaniā€™s heir? Sanford Ballard [Dole.](http://www.dolemiddle.k12.hi.us/GDole.html)šŸ™‚ ---
**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 11, 2008, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/107 "2008-10-11T00:10:48Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > Not meaning to hijack, or even to dump on the US of A > > Canada is a liberal democracy with socialized medicine and gun control. It is, however, freakinā€™ cold. Hawaii is hot with good surfing. As soon as Hawaii becomes part of a liberal democracy with socialized medicine and gun control, it will rocket to the top of the my list. šŸ˜‰ > > Having a Queen may help. Whoā€™s LiliŹ»uokalaniā€™s heir? > [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Sanford Ballard [Dole.](http://www.dolemiddle.k12.hi.us/GDole.html)šŸ™‚ As I recall, you could find lots of queens at the old Hula Hut nightclub in Waikiki. šŸ˜› When I lived in Hawaii, it was always being touted as the top state for health care. A lot of it had to do with a healthier lifestyle ā€“ people in Hawaii just seem to be naturally more active; I know I was ā€“ but there were some very conscientious state health workers, and the services seemed good. Unfortunately, there were lots of Hawaiian redneck gun nuts running around, too. ---
**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 11, 2008, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/108 "2008-10-11T01:05:02Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > As I recall, you could find lots of queens at the old Hula Hut nightclub in Waikiki. šŸ˜› What is it with you and bar tragedy? What about Hawaiian elephants? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/109 "2008-10-11T01:12:08Z")
1. Colorado 2. Any place with real winter and mountains 3. Any place with real winter 4. Any place without real winter that does not have a totally horrid summer. 5. Everywhere else. 6. Utah ---
**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 11, 2008, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/110 "2008-10-11T01:23:29Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > What is it with you and bar tragedy? What about Hawaiian elephants? Although Hawaii never had any elephants, you may be interested in the fact that King Mongkut, or Rama IV ā€“ the one portrayed by Yul Brynner in _The King and I_ ā€“ made a serious offer to Abraham Lincoln to send him a couple of war elephants for use in the Civil War. Lincoln sent a polite letter declining the offer. Iā€™ll have to see if I can find the contents of that again sometime. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/111 "2008-10-11T02:04:17Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Although Hawaii never had any elephants, you may be interested in the fact that King Mongkut, or Rama IV ā€“ the one portrayed by Yul Brynner in _The King and I_ ā€“ made a serious offer to Abraham Lincoln to send him a couple of war elephants for use in the Civil War. Lincoln sent a polite letter declining the offer. Iā€™ll have to see if I can find the contents of that again sometime. I found [a page](http://books.google.com/books?id=xcf_4T-nPuoC&pg=PA217&lpg=PA217&dq=Rama+Lincoln+elephants+war&source=web&ots=VMsN0DCjpk&sig=8O6I06cIRu5ZgLGNObwMC0EYRfY&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result) which features an interesting fragment of Lincolnā€™s response: > [@](#): > > It would be a problem, Lincoln said, because ā€œour political jurisdiction does not reach a latitude so low as to favor the multiplication of the elephant.ā€ And yet, which animal became the symbol of Lincolnā€™s party? ---
**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 11, 2008, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/112 "2008-10-11T02:42:29Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > made a serious offer to Abraham Lincoln to send him a couple of war elephants for use in the Civil War. Weā€™d have kicked their ass. Shermanā€™s Retreat to the Sea. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/113 "2008-10-11T03:14:20Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > ā€œHell, no!ā€ States from brief experiences: > > 1. Nevada > 2. Oklahoma > 3. Texas > 4. Missouri > 5. Kansas > 6. Arizona So, why do you have Arizona at the bottom? Just curious. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/114 "2008-10-11T03:15:28Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > 1. Colorado > 2. Any place with real winter and mountains > 3. Any place with real winter > 4. Any place without real winter that does not have a totally horrid summer. > 5. Everywhere else. > 6. Utah OK, Utah borders Colorado, has mountains and snow. So, is it the LDS? The liquor laws? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/115 "2008-10-11T04:01:39Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > So, is it the LDS? The liquor laws? Yes. Utah is as close to a theocracy as this nation will ever see. And Iā€™m not saying they canā€™t be; if most of the people are of a particular religion, there is no reason they canā€™t set their laws according to what their elected officials choose. (Within the bounds of national restrictions, of course.) But it is a reason that I wouldnā€™t care to live there. ---
**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 11, 2008, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/116 "2008-10-11T15:21:27Z")
> [@Sternvogel](#): > > And yet, which animal became the symbol of Lincolnā€™s party? Indeed. The full correspondence between King Mongkut and Abraham Lincoln can be seen [here](http://www.shelovesreading.com/main/print.php?type=A&item_id=231). ---
**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 11, 2008, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/117 "2008-10-11T16:42:21Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > The full correspondence between King Mongkut and Abraham Lincoln can be seen [here](http://www.shelovesreading.com/main/print.php?type=A&item_id=231). Addendum to the brief hijack: Actually, it looks like King Mongkut was writing to President Buchanan, but the mails being as slow as they were in that day, it was Lincoln who received the letters. So it was not really a case of King Mongkut offering war elephants for the Civil War, which was still a future event at his time of writing, but rather he was sad that America had no elephants and wished to populate the continent with them. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774/118 "2008-10-11T22:29:56Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > So, why do you have Arizona at the bottom? Just curious. HOT HOT HOT and its major cities are pits (Phoenix and Tuscon). I did work at the Grand Canyon (North Rim) and enjoyed that part of AZ. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-50-united-states-in-your-order-of-preference/466774.md?page=5)