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I have always thought list like these were bogus. Just like how they have list for "Best Countrie to live" and some place like Finland is on top. I know a few people in Finland and they want to move out. It depends on the person and if your area offers the amenities that you need. Most of those states are low density and dont have alot of people. They are calm and quiet which some people absolutely love. Doesn't mean its the best place in america to live. I personally could not live in Hawaii long term.
1. South Dakota
2. Texas
.
.
49. Rhode Island
50. Hawaii
I'm surprised to see Hawaii so low overall. I'm also surprised to see Texas at #2 since it ranks 41/50 for QOL.
Again that means nothing. Montana is ranked higher then alot of states on that list. Since when has Montana been a business center? Texas is high on that list because it's Cheap, Self sufficient, very strong economy, and growing. This is just another meaningless list by a panel of people at a news publication. Take it as a grain of Salt. You are happy where you are happy, and can have business success anywhere! All depends on the individual.
Having lived in two of the three, I can say they are good places to live. However, South Dakota is great for business because wages are so low.
I personally don't think quality of life equates with business friendliness though, which is the biggest flaw of the list.
Business friendliness in terms of low taxes and cost of living means nothing if you're having trouble attracting talent or business itself due to the low wages or the poor infrastructure.
See Mississippi on one end of the spectrum, and a state like New York on the other. Although New York isn't as business friendly, NYC is still the economic capital of the country due to all of the amenities it offers. Meanwhile, while Mississippi is extremely business friendly, it's one of the poorest states in the union economically because of its poor infrastructure.
I personally don't think quality of life equates with business friendliness though.
Business friendliness in terms of low taxes and cost of living means nothing if you're having trouble attracting talent or business itself due to the low wages or the poor infrastructure.
Well, yeah, that's why one should take these rankings with a grain of salt. Low taxes and wages are great for business, but not so much for the workers. I could make more somewhere else, but I love where I live so it's a trade off I'm willing to accept. Low taxes in general (I'm told property tax is high here but I don't own and have no frame of reference) help offset things for me. It's a matter of priorities, and everyone has to choose their own.
I read the same list and it sounded very accurate to me. Not many people relocate to Vermont because of the harsh winters.
Hawaii is an expensive relo. So the people there, in HI and VT, are generally from there and have roots there.
Notably absent from the list, if I remember correctly, were states like California and New York. Too many people think that they will find happiness in those states, or endure high taxes and a high cost of living because they are from there, and think it's the center of the universe.
The Sunbelt didn't show up at all. No South or North Carolina, Florida, or Georgia,
No Texas. No shock here.
States that made a showing did not surprise. Places that value education, with deep values of community combined with an open minded attitude towards people who are different.
Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts come to mind. Some great educational institutions and an adherence to the values of the individual and the rights of the worker.
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