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Here's the 7 criteria on which states were ranked:
1. Health Care
2. Education
3. Crime
4. Infrastructure
5. Opportunity
6. Economy
7. Government
Some might quibble about the opportunity rankings since it accounts for gender and racial bias in opportunities for advancement, but overall it looks like a pretty good measure of both positive and negative factors for each state.
Like work?I love NE in general and there is plenty for everyone to brag about but there is not a lot of work in Vermont .New Hampshire (lower) benefits from being close to Boston.
If these NE states and cities are so great what aren't people who retire moving there and current retirees moving OUT?
There is more opportunity in states loaded with uneducated people. The reason those states rank low is because of the people that live in those states, not because there is a lack of actual opportunity. Basically, those states are affordable to live in unlike high priced states that weed out poor people. Yes, there is more opportunity in Texas than there is in Massachusetts for the average person. A 4 year business degree with zero experience will land you a good job in San Antonio; however, a 4 year business degree in say Boston or Seattle with no experience will typically land you an entry level position.
Also, one of the biggest factors in a state being a nice place to live is climate. For that reason alone, states like NC, SC, CA, HI, TX, AZ, etc should be high on this list. Who the **** would want to live in North Dakota? LOL
Since some feel left out, I looked up the states with the highest teen pregnancy rates. So for all of you states that are in the 40's in the OP's list make the top 10 in my list! Something to be proud of, yes. You may also be in the top 10 for obesity, highest mortality rate, highest smoking rate, highest gun ownership rate, lowest graduation rates. So, stand proud and don't fret!
"...Among the states, New Mexico had the highest teen pregnancy rate, in 2010, with 80 pregnancies per 1,000 women in the age group, followed by Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma..."
So the whitest states rank the highest in everything good, and the least white states rank the highest in everything bad?
If ever there was a case of beauty being in the eye of the beholder this is it.
Some people love Vermont. Others dream of Florida. Personally, I like Kentucky and North Carolina. People can argue all day about which is better but they should be aware that it is an argument over red roses vs. white roses.
I agree--it is totally personal and subjective as to where you want to live.
But these particular rankings were done regarding objective subjects with a national survey, so the people who live in the state basically ranked them.
"...For the weighting of the Best States ranking, U.S. News wanted to use an objective measure reflecting the priorities of citizens for their state governments. McKinsey conducts a citizen experience survey on a fairly regular basis which asks Americans how satisfied they are with various state government services and where they think their state governments should focus resources.
The survey results were weighted to be representative of the country’s population across all ages, genders, ethnicities and household incomes..."
"Because when people get old, they become sensitive to cold weather."
I happen to live in one of those "move to sates" in the south and KNOW LOTS of retirees who have moved her from the NE.
MOST say the No.1 reason is they CAN'T AFFORD IT up there.
My neighbor moved from $12,000 a year in property taxes to $300 in taxes.
One of the other reasons given is they just don't LIKE cold anymore.
I have never heard that they are sensitive to it.
The saying goes, "I moved here because I don't have to "SHOVEL the SUNSHINE"!
Like I said, it all depends on the OPINIONS of the people who chose the "criteria".
Can't afford it because they're retired and no longer need to send their now grown kids to school. It's quite simple. People always attempt to make some huge point about how people move out of the Northeastern states, as if they suck, but in reality, people reap the benefits of living in such an area for much of their lives, by sending their kids to the superior public schools in NJ and MA for example, then leave it when they don't need those benefits anymore AND can't afford, or simply no longer want to, pay for those benefits any longer.
One doesn't need to pay the $12,000 tax bill (give or take) anymore on many homes in my town if their kids are out of school and they're about to retire. It's just no longer necessary. They also don't need to shovel snow as they get older.
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