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NH will never be like Utah- NH is rated as #2 least religious state (behind Vermont). It also ranks #1 for fewest teen pregnancies. And unlike Neveda, NH is ranked as top most educated state. Neveda is ranked as one of the worst. Let's keep our libertarian principles! They are proving themselves to work here.
I finally went and actually looked at the Politico article, which ranks the states based on 14 categories. What is surprising (well, surprising given that NH ranks #1 overall, but not surprising after living here) is that NH only tops the list in one of those 14 categories. NH has the lowest poverty rate. Otherwise, in most categories it comes in somewhere in the top 10, though it is #3 for lowest crime, and down at #17 for obesity.
I knew a state wouldn't have to top the list in every category in order to come out on top in the overall "Strength" category, but in almost every category, many states come in higher than NH. I haven't seen the exact methodology for this ranking (which they admit is unscientific) but I assume NH must come out on top because it is quite consistent. Other states might come out higher in some desirable categories, but much lower in other categories, like crime. Massachusetts ranks well on income, education, and health indicators, but down at #31 for crime. Part of the "strength" of New Hampshire is undoubtedly its low population and lack of large cities.
Frankly I don't think this ranking is an indication of this being the best state in which to live. A lot of crime in states with higher crime rates will never affect most of the population. There are a lot of great areas with tons to offer which rank lower because the states are large, at least population-wise, and have large cities. The Politico people also admit that there are vast differences among states - Calfornia's economy is the eighth-largest in the world, and the population of Texas is larger than that of most countries. You really can't compare places like that - or other larger and more urban states - to NH. This ranking is certainly not to say that there aren't areas of, say, California, which will provide a much higher overall quality of life than that which you find in NH.
I'd like to see them rank on other categories, like number of potholes in a 25 mile radius of my house. :-)
Last edited by cowbell76; 01-28-2014 at 09:13 AM..
when you invest in education, you are going to get less poverty and higher income. That's all NH should focus on. There are some great charter schools too that Maggie Hassan is fighting against. Giving parents more choices I think would help the education system even more.
when you invest in education, you are going to get less poverty and higher income. That's all NH should focus on. There are some great charter schools too that Maggie Hassan is fighting against. Giving parents more choices I think would help the education system even more.
I think they also need to focus on attracting more business and keeping young people in the state. Educated young people do leave the state. (I wrote a much longer post with my ideas about what makes a place vibrant and attractive to young people, but I'll just leave it at this.) The state does have to change in order to grow.
For those folks saying "No Changes". Do you mean "no changes whatsoever"? Or only "no changes that you don't agree with"? If it's the former then won't NH eventually become a sort of statewide Old Sturbridge Village? A backwater state full of regressive people?
In the year 2150 will we be charging admission at the border and sit patiently as "the outsiders" come, pointing and staring at our outdated garb and ways, whispering about how little we know and how short our life spans are?
If so, why wait? Why not just move to Pennsylvania right now and become Amish right this minute?
there is a low drop-out rate because most students don't turn 18 until sometime in (or even after) their senior year.
Very few students (less than 5%) are not 18 by graduation in NH. My daughter, a senior, will be 18 in March and most of her fellow students are already 18...
Very few students (less than 5%) are not 18 by graduation in NH. My daughter, a senior, will be 18 in March and most of her fellow students are already 18...
Please provide a source for that "less than 5%" statistic. What I said that that most students do not turn 18 until some time IN or even after their senior year. I turned 18 in mid-fall of my senior year (and was one of the oldest students in the class.) But assuming that the birth rate remains, on average, the same throughout the year, more than 25% of students would turn 18 after graduation. (According to the CDC, the summer months actually have higher birth rates than other months.) Students born in the summer are typically young for their grade because of the cut-off dates for starting school.
But even if every single student turned 18 by graduation, my point would still stand. Raising the drop-out age increases the graduation rate and that increased graduation rate does not necessarily indicate anything about the strength of the curriculum. You can look at the change in drop-out rate in NH from before they made the change, and after they made the change. It is a dramatic drop with no other changes to the system.
I dont think young people leave NH for "jobs" necessarily- I think it has a lot more to do with NH being less of a trendy spot for young people. Sure it's great to raise a family and live there when you have a family but the younger people want to go to hot-spots where there are trendy cafes, shops, arts and music scences, where singles go, etc. That's why so many younger people move to Boston, NY, California, Seattle, etc. Even Portland, ME is a lot more attractive for younger folks than Manchester for a vibrant scene. There's a lot more activities and events that appeal to them in those kinds of places versus say a Dover or Rochester NH.
NH will never be like Utah- NH is rated as #2 least religious state (behind Vermont). It also ranks #1 for fewest teen pregnancies. And unlike Neveda, NH is ranked as top most educated state. Neveda is ranked as one of the worst. Let's keep our libertarian principles! They are proving themselves to work here.
NH may be "#1 most educated", but big whoop. Most of the high paying jobs are out of state. NH ranks #50 with assistance for college AKA dead last. And NH ranks #1 with highest student loan total upon graduation. So yeah, great we're educated.. but we now have 800$/m in student loans for the next 20 years... or wait am I the only one?
I think they also need to focus on attracting more business and keeping young people in the state. Educated young people do leave the state. (I wrote a much longer post with my ideas about what makes a place vibrant and attractive to young people, but I'll just leave it at this.) The state does have to change in order to grow.
Im exactly what youre talking about.. reason I found this site was to research my move away from COLD/Expensive NH.
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