# What’s Your State (U.S.) Good At? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 30, 2010, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779 "2010-12-30T01:44:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779/21 "2010-12-30T18:11:49Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > Big Pharma is in Jersey—that’s my gig > > And city life is always close by. I like being equidistant between NY and Philly. Me, too. Not the Big Pharma part, the location part. And we grow some DARN good tomatoes! It is impossible to get a better tomato than a fresh vine-ripened NJ one. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779/22 "2010-12-30T21:02:14Z")
My home state, sigh supposedly it’s got pot with the highest THC concentration in the world (from what I’ve heard, I don’t claim to have any expertise in that area). So it’s good at maryjuwanna. 😃 My current state, I don’t know yet so I’ll defer to **Johnny L.A.** (NoWA is Washington state right?). ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779/23 "2010-12-30T22:47:32Z")
Woo hoo!! Virginia currently boasts the best high school–Thomas Jefferson High School of Technology (whatever, you can tell that I didn’t go there). ---
**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:** [December 30, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779/24 "2010-12-30T22:54:21Z")
Washington DC is apparently best on not being on that stupid site. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2010, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779/25 "2010-12-30T23:10:39Z")
Nevada: Unemployment it seems. My brother has been under-employed or completely unemployed for more than 2 years… and we have the highest unemployment rate in the USA. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779/26 "2010-12-31T00:57:06Z")
I read recently that New York leads the nation in the production of cream cheese. Take that Philadelphia. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779/27 "2010-12-31T20:32:57Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > And, Oh yeah, speeding tickets! Why doesn’t this surprise me? ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779/28 "2010-12-31T22:19:54Z")
New York State’s Adirondack Park is the largest park in the contiguous United States. 6.1 million acres – that’s larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks combined. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779/29 "2010-12-31T23:21:32Z")
People talk like Minnesota shopping is a bad thing. But hey, we’re the state that doesn’t have a sales tax on clothing. No wonder busloads of people come here to outfit their kids for school each August. We also do cold well, can handle snow better than just about anyplace in the US except Buffalo, NY., know that plaid flannel is always in style in winter and offer Lake Wobegon to the world. Not bad, doncha know? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779/30 "2010-12-31T23:46:37Z")
Massachusetts. I have never heard the stats on speeding tickets given in that chart and I am not sure if it is correct or not because I have never been stopped for a speeding ticket in 14 years here and I drive 85 mph at least daily and sometimes over 100 mph if I am in a hurry. The police don’t seem to blush at raw speeding on interstate highways unless you are endangering the general public or not doing it right. It is the best however at producing super-aggressive drivers and weird traffic situations though especially in Boston proper. When I have driven around Manhattan, I am always impressed with how calm and intuitive it all seems in comparison to Boston. A more honorable title would be the higher education capital of the world. Everyone knows Harvard and MIT but the full list is about 100 institutions or more strong in the greater Boston area alone but the full list of A list schools goes deeper than that and the full list consists of good schools that don’t get much airtime because of the insane competition. The secondary universities here would be flagship schools in most places. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779/31 "2010-12-31T23:50:04Z")
Most corn produced. I needed a webpage to tell me that? ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779/32 "2011-01-01T00:16:20Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Massachusetts. > A more honorable title would be the higher education capital of the world. Everyone knows Harvard and MIT but the full list is about 100 institutions or more strong in the greater Boston area alone but the full list of A list schools goes deeper than that and the full list consists of good schools that don’t get much airtime because of the insane competition. The secondary universities here would be flagship schools in most places. I still remember the wording on the Worcester Cold Storage billboard: Every great American city has at least one great college. Worcester has ten. Then it would list the 10 colleges. I still look for that damn sign every time I drive 290. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it being gone. ---
**Author:** ![Eggerhaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@Eggerhaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eggerhaus)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779/33 "2011-01-01T03:42:04Z")
I grew up in way northeastern Minnesota where it’s cold as hell 9 months of the year. All I learned there wa that Canadian girls kick ass. 🙂 I live in Missouri now. Everybody in Missouri smokes, or so it seems. (I can get a carton of off brand smokes for $18.50.) Welcomes signs should read: “Welcome to Missouri! Smoke 'em if you got 'em!” ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779/34 "2011-01-01T03:52:33Z")
My home state of Louisiana is good at being different than the rest of the lower 48. It has a different system of laws than the rest based mostly on old French law. It has New Orleans which is a unique, world-class travel destination, and several different subcultures with unique cuisines. It is unfortunately really good at getting in the international news with things like Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill. I love my home state but God is trying hard to kill it for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779/35 "2011-01-01T10:33:01Z")
I never would have guessed that it was rice. Doesn’t rice require flatland? Oh, I’m in Arkansas, if this ever becomes a zombie and my membership has expired. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779/36 "2011-01-01T12:39:38Z")
> [@carnut](#): > > But hey, we’re the state that doesn’t have a sales tax on clothing. No wonder busloads of people come here to outfit their kids for school each August. One of the states. Pennsylvania doesn’t, either. Which accounts for the busloads of people hitting the Lancaster County outlet malls every August… ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779/37 "2011-01-01T12:53:54Z")
I can’t find any specifics about how they rate states but can’t figure out how Idaho got a frowny face given that something like 75% of our power is hydro – depending on the dams, not so good for the fishies I guess but very good on the air pollution and renewable fronts. Hot springs. Mmm. Nice. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779/38 "2011-01-01T13:27:37Z")
Massachusetts calling-we excel at political corruption. Three speakers of the House of Representatives indicted (in a row),two convicted. Public buildings fall apart in 25-30 years (too much graft); lots of ex-politicians in jail or under indictment. Corrupt judges, corrupt state employees-if you love corruption, MA is the place for you! ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779/39 "2011-01-01T16:08:07Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Not my state, but the site says West Virginia leads the nation in toothlessness. > > Missouri’s notable achievement is apparently shared by Kansas as the Kansas City Metro area is in both states. And a long way away from me. I note that MO got a frowny-face, too; I know they’re for energy policy, but MO roads are TERRIBLE. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779/40 "2011-01-01T16:27:05Z")
Texas has a SAT ranking of 49. Moor is better write? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-s-your-state-u-s-good-at/565779.md?page=3)