Most Livable States, 2005

Morgan Quitno ^ | 3/8/05 | Morgan Quitno

[crv16]

CONCORD, N.H. - Morgan Quitno Press has named New Hampshire the ``Most Livable State'' for the second consecutive year.

Like last year, the Granite State passed Minnesota to take the top spot.

Vermont held at third, while Massachusetts ranked seventh, Connecticut 14th, Maine 15th and Rhode Island 23rd.

The 2005 award is based on 44 factors. They include median household income, the crime rate and job growth.

"1" is Most Livable, "50" is Not

2005 MOST LIVABLE STATE AWARD

ALPHA ORDER							RANK ORDER
2005 RANK	STATE	LIVABILITY RATING	2004 RANK*	CHANGE		2005 RANK	STATE	LIVABILITY RATING	2004 RANK*	CHANGE
39	Alabama	21.00	47	8		1	New Hampshire	35.45	1	0
27	Alaska	24.98	31	4		2	Minnesota	33.86	2	0
36	Arizona	22.11	38	2		3	Vermont	31.73	3	0
48	Arkansas	19.25	44	-4		4	Wyoming	31.61	6	2
35	California	22.27	36	1		5	Virginia	31.57	7	2
16	Colorado	28.00	23	7		6	Iowa	31.41	4	-2
14	Connecticut	29.68	9	-5		7	Massachusetts	30.80	16	9
17	Delaware	27.66	18	1		8	New Jersey	30.77	5	-3
37	Florida	21.82	37	0		9	South Dakota	30.73	10	1
38	Georgia	21.77	35	-3		10	Nebraska	30.52	8	-2
26	Hawaii	25.02	32	6		11	North Dakota	30.43	15	4
18	Idaho	27.32	17	-1		12	Maryland	30.25	14	2
31	Illinois	23.91	26	-5		13	Wisconsin	29.75	13	0
21	Indiana	26.11	20	-1		14	Connecticut	29.68	9	-5
6	Iowa	31.41	4	-2		15	Maine	29.36	12	-3
20	Kansas	26.80	11	-9		16	Colorado	28.00	23	7
41	Kentucky	20.48	42	1		17	Delaware	27.66	18	1
49	Louisiana	17.25	49	0		18	Idaho	27.32	17	-1
15	Maine	29.36	12	-3		19	Utah	27.14	19	0
12	Maryland	30.25	14	2		20	Kansas	26.80	11	-9
7	Massachusetts	30.80	16	9		21	Indiana	26.11	20	-1
28	Michigan	24.47	34	6		22	Missouri	25.82	20	-2
2	Minnesota	33.86	2	0		23	Rhode Island	25.77	24	1
50	Mississippi	16.11	50	0		24	Montana	25.50	27	3
22	Missouri	25.82	20	-2		25	Washington	25.07	25	0
24	Montana	25.50	27	3		26	Hawaii	25.02	32	6
10	Nebraska	30.52	8	-2		27	Alaska	24.98	31	4
29	Nevada	24.41	30	1		28	Michigan	24.47	34	6
1	New Hampshire	35.45	1	0		29	Nevada	24.41	30	1
8	New Jersey	30.77	5	-3		30	New York	24.09	33	3
42	New Mexico	20.43	41	-1		31	Illinois	23.91	26	-5
30	New York	24.09	33	3		32	Ohio	23.86	29	-3
40	North Carolina	20.61	45	5		32	Pennsylvania	23.86	22	-10
11	North Dakota	30.43	15	4		34	Oregon	22.73	27	-7
32	Ohio	23.86	29	-3		35	California	22.27	36	1
43	Oklahoma	20.37	40	-3		36	Arizona	22.11	38	2
34	Oregon	22.73	27	-7		37	Florida	21.82	37	0
32	Pennsylvania	23.86	22	-10		38	Georgia	21.77	35	-3
23	Rhode Island	25.77	24	1		39	Alabama	21.00	47	8
44	South Carolina	20.34	48	4		40	North Carolina	20.61	45	5
9	South Dakota	30.73	10	1		41	Kentucky	20.48	42	1
47	Tennessee	19.50	46	-1		42	New Mexico	20.43	41	-1
45	Texas	19.93	39	-6		43	Oklahoma	20.37	40	-3
19	Utah	27.14	19	0		44	South Carolina	20.34	48	4
3	Vermont	31.73	3	0		45	Texas	19.93	39	-6
5	Virginia	31.57	7	2		46	West Virginia	19.64	43	-3
25	Washington	25.07	25	0		47	Tennessee	19.50	46	-1
46	West Virginia	19.64	43	-3		48	Arkansas	19.25	44	-4
13	Wisconsin	29.75	13	0		49	Louisiana	17.25	49	0
4	Wyoming	31.61	6	2		50	Mississippi	16.11	50	0

[Hatteras]

"Do they wear little gloves?"

No, but they do look cute with their little heads that look like helmets...

[SueAngel]

I do concede that many people enjoy the snow and cold weather. However, many people who live in cold climates and think about 100+ degree weather in TX don't understand the concept of air conditioning. I go from an air conditioned-office to an air conditioned-car to an air conditioned-house and shop in air conditioned-stores. Wear cotton fabrics, light colors, and drink lots of water and it's heavenly. When I get cold, I can't warm up unless I take a hot bath. When I lived in Colorado, I lived in the bathtub.

[Age of Reason]

Texas is 45?

I sure as heck wouldn't want to live there.

About the only thing you've got that's worth it is good laws.

Othewise, sorry to say, lousy climate and too many people (and sooner or later, your population growth will liberalize your laws).

By the way, is there a correlation between each state's ranking and the percentage of illegals who migrate to it?

[One Proud Dad]

Don't that just piss you off. I relate them to Euro-weinies that want to remake us in France's image.

Texas was just fine before Starbucks, Birkenstocks, quiche, bad lasanga, NASCAR, and hockey.

We had hunting, fishing, rodeo, and football. We had hunting, fishing, rodeo, and football...

[vetvetdoug]

Fine with me that Mississippi is 50th. Maybe we can keep the descendants and the relatives of the carpetbaggers from coming down.

[ladyjane]

Hey Hatteras. You're right! I don't want all those Ward Churchill types from Massachusetts coming down here to spoil the place.

[Conspiracy Guy]

And chaps

[walden]

This list is a crock-- Texas is a great place to live and to work, excellent climate, pretty scenery, and good people. I'm sure they rated us down because of limited social services and the low income and social problems related to a high number of illegal immigrants. Texas is a great place for citizens to live, but it's not real good for illegals.

On the other hand, Wyoming does well because it has low unemployment-- the reason for that is that everyone who can't find a job leaves for someplace with more opportunity.

[Conspiracy Guy]

So do they wear shiny boxing shorts?

[redhead]

"I just so hate the snow! Minnesota may be a great place to live, but I'll leave the snow to folks who like to move faster. We have lived in the Midwest, and I was so happy to move away. It was all right until the winter months. Then I wanted to go home!!!!!!! Give me heat and humidity and thunderstorms!"

We got just a little over a foot of snow this winter. If you are talking SNOW, you want to talk about Valdez/Whittier, AK (lived there for what seemed like FOREVER), where the winter AVERAGE is around fifty feet. Plenty of thunderstorms to suit here, though.

[L,TOWM]

Too late! My wife is house hunting this weekend and I start at my compnany's office in Dallas on the 28th!

hehehehe

[B-Chan]

You're so right. The Sixties took a LOOONNNNNGGGG time to get to East Dallas.

I'll always be East Dallas born and raised, but the Dallas I knew no longer exists. That's why I live in Tarrant County now. Fort Worth and environs are a damned fine place to live, and still largely uncontaminated by the Kyle's Moms and Michael Moores of the world. Pray that the cosmopolitans, homo lifestylers, and Hipper-Than-Thous stop at the county line.

I admit that I like quiche, though. Quiche can be manly. You just have to put jalapenos in it.

[Hatteras]

I guess they could but it would probably be more like a shiney one-piece wetsuit with one leg hole. You can never have too much protection you know...

[metesky]

And how does this guy make Maine come in @ #15 when we're #2 highest tax burden in state taxes and 4th highest when you add the Federal burden?

Plus the regulatory regime here is fast catching up to MA and NJ.

Sometimes I think Maine will never come out of the ether when it comes to Dems and RINOs.

[WolfRunnerWoman]

Yep. I want Texas to be thought of as a bad place to live too. It keeps out the rifraff.

Besides, I don't want the kind of ¢rap they probably thinks makes a place better to live: more taxpayer subsidization of bastardy, more gun control, more publicly funded BS.

[One Proud Dad]

Hopefully. My mom's family is from Mississippi and I spent about 3 months of each year while growing up there and loved it. The only reason I don't move is I am lazy and don't want to pack my house. Oh yeah and I have a good job.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Good point.

[Spruce]

Ask any native Minnesotan about the cold and you'll get the same response: "Keeps the riff-raff out".

[DManA]

Be thankful some of us do. How would you like the whole country joining you huddled down there. And BTW, who in their right mind would want to live in Mississippi in August?

Who in their right mind would want to live in the Northeast? Or in Minnesota?

[Modernman]

My, my...it seems odd that all the most liveable are blue states...and have very few minorities.

Huh? The top twenty are split 10/10 red/blue.