Where Would You Go?
You might think they’d all choose the same handful of states. But when Americans were asked directly which ones they considered the most desirable places to live, the answers got interesting. Some obvious favorites made the top 25, but a few surprises did too. Is your choice on the list?
25: Massachusetts
Massachusetts sneaks into the top half thanks to Boston, historic coastal towns, highly regarded universities and major health-care institutions. The catch is hardly hidden: housing can be painfully expensive, especially around Boston. Enough Americans still looked at that New England charm and decided it might be worth it.
Nelson48 at English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons
24: Ohio
Ohio is not the flashy answer, which may be exactly why it placed this high. Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati offer three very different city experiences, while Lake Erie, smaller communities and comparatively attainable housing broaden the appeal. It is the practical choice quietly beating several more famous destinations.
23: Alaska
Alaska ranked second for scenery in the same survey, behind only Hawaii. Glaciers, mountains, forests and an almost unbelievable amount of open space certainly make the sales pitch easy. Long winters, remote communities and higher everyday costs help explain why it did not climb even higher.
David Brossard, Wikimedia Commons
22: Kentucky
Rolling horse country, Appalachian scenery and cities such as Louisville and Lexington helped Kentucky reach number 22. It offers plenty of countryside without requiring residents to abandon restaurants, universities or city life completely. For people craving a somewhat slower pace, Kentucky evidently looked rather convincing.
TheLexingtonTimes, Wikimedia Commons
20: Pennsylvania (Tie)
Pennsylvania gives potential movers several versions of itself. Philadelphia delivers history and big-city energy, Pittsburgh offers a smaller urban alternative, and much of the state consists of mountains, forests and small towns. That variety helped it tie for the twentieth-most desirable state in America.
20: Nevada (Tie)
Nevada tied Pennsylvania despite offering almost the complete opposite lifestyle. Las Vegas provides entertainment and warm winters, while Reno offers access to Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada. The absence of an individual state income tax probably did not hurt, although the extreme heat may have given some respondents pause.
Reinhard Link from Germany, Wikimedia Commons
19: Utah
Five national parks, dramatic red-rock country and easy access to mountain recreation make Utah visually difficult to resist. Salt Lake City also provides the jobs and amenities many movers would not want to sacrifice. Rising housing costs complicate the picture, but Utah still reached number 19.
Garrett from Salt Lake City, Wikimedia Commons
18: Wyoming
Wyoming was named America’s most underrated state elsewhere in the survey, so its appearance here makes sense. It has Yellowstone, Grand Teton, remarkably few people and no individual state income tax. If your dream move involves mountains, wildlife and considerably fewer neighbors, Wyoming checks several important boxes.
17: Montana
Montana continues the run of Western states offering mountains, open land and postcard scenery. Its appeal is obvious to anyone who has visited Glacier or Yellowstone country. The harder part is finding affordable housing in some of its most desirable communities, where growing popularity has created very real pressure.
Quintin Soloviev, Wikimedia Commons
16: Vermont
Vermont ranked as America’s second-most underrated state, and its quiet appeal carried it to number 16 overall. The Green Mountains, covered bridges, small towns and famous fall colors make a strong case. You would simply have to accept long winters as part of the arrangement.
15: Maine
Maine offers rocky coastline, thick forests, small communities and considerably more breathing room than southern New England. Portland provides restaurants and culture without feeling like an enormous city. The winters are serious and parts of the state are remote, yet Americans still pushed Maine into the top 15.
Paul VanDerWerf from Brunswick, Maine, USA, Wikimedia Commons
14: Oregon
Oregon combines Pacific coastline, forests, mountains, high desert and one of America’s best-known outdoorsy cities. Portland is not everyone’s idea of paradise, but the state offers far more than Portland. Bend, Eugene and smaller coastal communities give would-be residents plenty of very different options.
13: Virginia
Virginia stretches from Atlantic beaches to the Blue Ridge Mountains, with historic towns and several distinct employment centers in between. Northern Virginia provides access to Washington-area jobs, while Richmond, Charlottesville and coastal communities offer alternatives. That balance helped Virginia land just outside the top 12.
Ben Schumin, Wikimedia Commons
12: Georgia
Georgia delivers warm weather, mountains, coastline and one of the South’s largest economic centers. Atlanta supplies jobs, major-city amenities and an enormous airport, while Savannah offers an entirely different pace. Traffic and humid summers did not stop Georgia from becoming America’s twelfth-most desirable state.
11: New York
New York barely missed the top ten, which may surprise anyone who assumed its high prices had frightened everyone away. Respondents could have been imagining Manhattan, the Adirondacks, Buffalo or a quiet upstate town. New York also tied for least desirable, making it one of the survey’s most divisive states.
Dietmar Rabich, Wikimedia Commons
10: Washington
Washington opens the top ten with mountains, islands, evergreen forests and a strong employment base around Seattle. It also has no general individual income tax on wages, although it does tax certain capital gains. Housing costs and famously gray winters were apparently not enough to spoil the fantasy.
Daniel Schwen, Wikimedia Commons
8: South Carolina (Tie)
South Carolina tied for eighth place, helped by warm weather, Atlantic beaches and popular communities such as Charleston, Greenville and Myrtle Beach. It can offer historic neighborhoods, growing cities or a quieter coastal lifestyle. For Americans dreaming of leaving colder states, that combination is understandably tempting.
Akhenaton06, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
8: Arizona (Tie)
Arizona shared eighth place with South Carolina. Winter sunshine, desert scenery and cities such as Phoenix and Tucson give it enormous appeal, especially among people finished with snow. Those people may want to visit in July before committing, but the summer heat clearly did not frighten everyone.
7: Tennessee
Tennessee ranked seventh overall and third among America’s most underrated states. Nashville brings jobs and entertainment, while Chattanooga and Knoxville offer smaller alternatives near the mountains. Add Memphis, the Great Smoky Mountains and no individual state income tax, and its high placement becomes fairly easy to understand.
6: North Carolina
North Carolina comes unusually close to offering everything at once. It has Atlantic beaches, Blue Ridge scenery, Charlotte’s financial sector and the universities and technology jobs of the Research Triangle. It also ranked near the bottom of the least-desirable list, suggesting relatively few respondents strongly opposed it.
Quintin Soloviev, Wikimedia Commons
5: Hawaii
Hawaii was named the most beautiful state by 45% of respondents, so fifth place almost feels low. Tropical weather, beaches, rainforests and volcanic landscapes make the dream easy to understand. Housing prices, imported-goods costs and the sheer distance from the mainland make actually moving there considerably harder.
ArdentArbitration, Wikimedia Commons
4: Texas
Texas offers several major cities, a large job market and no individual state income tax. It has also continued attracting large numbers of new residents. Clearly, plenty of Americans are doing more than merely imagining the move.
Quintin Soloviev, Wikimedia Commons
3: Colorado
Colorado takes third place after also ranking third for scenery. The Rocky Mountains do much of the advertising, but Denver and other Front Range communities add jobs, restaurants and major-city conveniences. Housing is no longer inexpensive, yet Americans apparently remain willing to pay for the view.
Quintin Soloviev, Wikimedia Commons
2: California
California remains deeply divisive, but its appeal has hardly disappeared. Twenty-four percent of respondents named it among their most desirable states, down from 33% one year earlier. Beaches, mountains, weather and famous cities kept it second, even as housing costs and taxes pushed others firmly in the opposite direction.
Sharon Hahn Darlin, Wikimedia Commons
1: Florida
Florida was named the country’s most desirable state for the third consecutive year. Nearly one-third of Americans placed it among their top choices, giving it an eight-point lead over California. Warm winters, beaches and no individual state income tax proved difficult to beat, despite insurance costs, storms and summer humidity.
Matt Kieffer, Wikimedia Commons
Would You Choose The Same States?
Florida winning may not shock anyone, but the rest of the ranking provides plenty to argue about. California finished second despite its costs, Ohio beat several fashionable destinations and Alaska still made the top 25. The only real question is whether your dream state appears anywhere on this list.
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