Assuming that you live in the USA, which state, whether you live there or not would be the BEST state to live?

Question

For Instance, I live in a state in which I cannot stand. It is a sad state of affairs to live in another lone star justice state...not it isnt Texas or Idaho I live in..and DEFF NOT Colorado...(EVER) but I am curious as to which of the states you feel offer more to the populous and wherrein you can make the amount of money to live in comfortably....and as well feel and BE safe?

ALSO: Tell me WHY...or I will bypass the Question.....

By th4e way I Do for the moment live in OHIO..and it is horrible.

Answer 1

For me the criteria are
Friendly people, low taxes, low cost of living, level of Gov interferance with your life, natural scenery, climate, jobs, level of pollution (both traditional and urban) and the culture.

States I liked when I lived there
Texas, Florida, (Loved Colorado when I lived there long ago but hated it when I went back. It was like California with more mountains. None of the Coloradian spirit was left. Just an imitation California)

Northwest Arkansas was ok. It was a pretty area but the taxes were evil. Bad enough I had to drive to Oklahoma to buy groceries once a month. I hear they've since repealed some of those taxes but it's still far to heavily taxed.


States that I'm interested in learning more about include Virginia, North and South Carolina, Vermont, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada and Iowa.

I visited southern Ill and the area was pretty but taxes and cost of living too high in my opinion.

I've not lived in Cali but I've rescued a few people from there :) The cost of living out there is insane. You get pulled over for going 5mph over the speed limit in alot of places and I've NEVER seen so many cops in my life. I think CHIPs has more officers on patrol at any given moment than most states have total cops. Seems like everything is against the law out there. I have heard tales of first offenders going to prison for things like graffiti and illegal dumping. Prison, not jail for this kind of offense. Every time I visit Cali I buy everything I need in Arizona, top off the tanks there. Then drive like I'm taking a driving test. Buy nothing and get the hell out of Cali as soon as I can. I almost expect them to ask me for a passport when I cross the border there. The people are unfriendly, the highways less than great. The climate mild but not all that spectaculer. Get up in the Santa Barbera area and you'll never want to see the color pink again. Building codes require EVERY building to look exactly alike. What would be quiant in a village becomes a monstrosity when applied to an entire town. That most of the towns in that area have the same code makes it into some sort of Twilight zone area. Well more of a puking zone area. I'm amazed people don't go postal there on a frequent basis just from having to look at the EXACT same kind of building over and over again over a period of years. Me it only took days before I never wanted to see that style ever again. This is a prime example of the kind of mentality in Cali. One of extreme conformism that makes conservitive states actually look wild. Even the "wild" people in Cali have to make a fashion statement while being "wild" it seems. To me it just seems like this huge unending trend machine.

Missisippi didn't strike me as a great place to live. Very low standard of living, prevalent racism, authoritarian laws. When I go through there I just keep on going.

Western Oklahoma and West Texas are dry, windy inhospitable places. Local govs are entrenched and seem to hate outsiders. Hate both of those areas. East Oklahoma is like a whole different state. Pretty rolling hills, trees, people seemed nice when I passed through. I saw not a trace of racial tension in any visit to OK. People seemed to just be themselves there. Not alot of scenery and the jobs seemed relitively scarce. Taxes were on par with Tx last time I was through OK. Been there dozens of times over the last 10 years. Stayed overnight several times.

I've driven through Kansas a few times. Bleached is the only word I can think of to describe that state :) Everything seems like it's been in the sun and wind too long.

Arizona is a decent place to live. People are friendly, not as friendly as in the South but close. It's a practical state and the desert has it's own kind of beauty. It's hot and it's dry. Not a state for gardeners or boaters. Taxes are reasonable, cost of living low but wage scale just as low. Price of housing is unreasonable though, both in quality and in cost compared to wages.

Mass, New Jersey, New York, all have insane taxes and Gov hovers in every movement you make. I won't live there, might as well move to Europe if your going to have to put up with that kind of expense and Gov. At least in Europe it's gorgeous and there's a sense of history to compensate for the problems.
Crime rates are unreal in those states and worse the laws make it difficult to defend yourself or your property. So you are a sitting duck in those states.

I've never been to Alaska but the people I know who've lived there tell a vivid story of life there. One of great natural beauty, life unhindered by the Gov but also of dealing with the elements and high cost of living. You need special attachments for your car in the winter for example if you plan on starting it before spring.

Hawaii is a tropical paradise but you pay for the nose to live there. Everybody I know who's lived there had one complaint but it was a huge one and that was the cost.

I hear mixed things about Kentucky, Georgia, Bamma and Tenn.

Hope this helped.

Answer 2

Washington state is where I live and I would not live anywhere else. It is a beautiful place with a lot of job opportunties. I have lived here almost my entire life (I lived in Massachusetts for a while and would choose Vermont as a runner up to WA-Vermont doesn't have the job opps that WA does). The weather is amazing-It does rain-but not all the time. There are actually other cities in the US outside of WA that have more rainful. We have beautiful seasons. There are rivers everyhwere, lakes, Puget Sound, the Pacific Ocean, the mountains, and drier weather in Eastern WA.

A lot of people have found out about our hidden beauty in WA (for so many years we had the rumor of constant rain-people found out that it was a myth) which has driven up the cost of housing and traffic is horrible.

There are many different cultures in the PAC NW. Capital Hill produces a fun scene, while Redmond produces another genre of people. Very eclectic people in WA.

King county is the largest in the state and is I believe, is predominately democratic.

As our population has increased so has crime. I live in a good neighborhood and feel safe. There are some neighborhoods I would stay away from.

But I wouldn't trade it for anywhere else.

Answer 3

I love NC where I live. There are several great things: We have all four seasons, you are only a few hours drive from the mountains OR the beach, there a varity of cultural opportunities here (theater, concerts, museums) or you can pack a picnic in the pick up truck and play in the creek water all day with a load of hicks. :) Its a great place to live. The best of all the worlds.
The cost of living is reasonable here. You can purchase a nice house in a suburb of a large city for a decent amount that way you can have the benefits of the city with the "hometownness" of the suburb.

BTW, I have friends in Ohio and you're right, it sucks

Answer 4

I currently live in Wisconsin and love it. I have never lived in another state and don't ever intend to. I always here everybody talking about how cool it would to be to live in Caifornia or Florida, but then you wouldn't be able to vacation there anymore. I love vacationing to different states and living in one not so exciting. I mean there is Wisconsin Dells in Wisconsin so there is always something to be doing. Illinos and Minesotta are close to Wisconsin, so I can always go there for a shorter vacation, like Chicago or Minioapolis. Plus, I go to Kettle Moraine wich is listed in the top ten listing of the United States, so I am pretty pleased with were I live.

Answer 5

I live in the State of Georgia, and it's the best state for me because I don't want to live anywhere else. We have the North Georgia mountains, and we have the Golden Isles on our Atlantic coastline, and a little bit of almost everything else in between. You can even find ski slopes in the mountains during winter, and visit the seashore during summer. Air conditioning has solved the hot weather problem, and we don't have to endure northern-style winter weather, although we do have rare ice storms now and then just to add a bit of spice to our lives. As for safety, who is safe anywhere anymore? You just take your chances and move on with your life.

Answer 6

How will you bypass the question? I suppose you meant answer. There are no safe states to live. Each and every state has crime. You must be able to earn enough, regardless of where you live, in order to live in a safe place.

Answer 7

I would have to choose Iowa. I was born and raised there. I have lived in Texas, Illinois and Kansas. I just feel that is the safest place for me to live. If I could just pick up and leave and go back to Iowa I would do it in a heart beat.

Answer 8

Texas. I work for the largest retail chain EVER and get paid fairly well(contrary to popular belief). I own a home, drive a nice car, and can go to any kind of art, music, sports event known to man.

Answer 9

I would have to say washington. go to seattle. not only is there alot of diversity in the people there, but it is absolutely beautiful and you can always find things to do whether it be two in the afternoon or two in the morning. and if you live in the suburbs its really not that expensive. and the jobs there pay enough that you can live.

Answer 10

l Iive in the BEST state in the U.S.

Northern California is simply awesome!

You can't beat the jagged cliffs, the ancient redwoods peeking over the thick fog, the dark rocky beaches, the golden foothills, the mild climate...

There's nothing like it :)

Answer 11

Closet city girl? Go to New York
Culture vulture? California
Sunshine-funshine girl? Florida
Island girl? Hawaii
Well, these are my suggestions!