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

[Libertarian444]

The survey lists "Per Capita State Art Agencies’ Legislative Appropriations (Table 156)" as a positive factor in the rankings. That's all I needed to see to realize the ranking are Bravo Sierra.

[armymarinemom]

Maine number 15? This state is poor, overtaxed, and over nannyed.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Sorry, I misread the table. #35 is a more appropriate rank for California.

[NautiNurse]

Here are the 44 criteria they used. Libraries carried a fair amount of weight. Nothing about churches:

1	Percent Change in Number of Crimes: 2002 to 2003 (Table 27)
2	Crime Rate (Table 28)
3	State Prisoner Incarceration Rate (Table 62)
4	Personal Bankruptcy Rate (Table 104)
5	Pupil-Teacher Ratio in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools (Table 124)
6	Rate of Public Libraries and Branches (Table 154)
7	Unemployment Rate (Table 173)
8	Percent of Nonfarm Employees in Government (Table 187)
9	Electricity Prices (Table 206)
10	Hazardous Waste Sites on the National Priority List per 10,000 Square Miles (Table 220)
11	State & Local Taxes as a Percent of Personal Income (Table 291)
12	Per Capita State and Local Government Debt Outstanding (Table 303)
13	Percent of Population Not Covered by Health Insurance (Table 366)
14	Births of Low Birthweight as a Percent of All Births (Table 377)
15	Teenage Birth Rate (Table 378)
16	Infant Mortality Rate (Table 384)
17	Age-Adjusted Death Rate by Suicide (Table 398)
18	Population per Square Mile (Table 435)
19	Poverty Rate (Table 495)
20	Percent of Female-Headed Families with Children Living in Poverty (Table 499)
21	State and Local Government Spending for Welfare Programs as a Percent of All Spending (Table 502)
22	Percent of Households Receiving Food Stamps (Table 527)
23	Deficient Bridges as a Percent of Total Bridges (Table 544)
24	Highway Fatality Rate (Table 547)
25	Fatalities in Alcohol-Related Crashes as a Percent of All Highway Fatalities (Table 554)

26	Per Capita Gross State Product (Table 95)
27	Percent Change in Per Capita Gross State Product: 1998 to 2002 (Adjusted to Constant Dollars) (Table 96)
28	Per Capita Personal Income (Table 99)
29	Change in Per Capita Personal Income: 2002 to 2003 (Table 100)
30	Median Household Income (Table 102)
31	Public High School Graduation Rate (Table 128)
32	Percent of Population Graduated from High School (Table 129)
33	Expenditures for Education as a Percent of All State and Local Government Expenditures (Table 139)
34	Percent of Population With a Bachelor’s Degree or More (Table 152)
35	Books in Public Libraries Per Capita (Table 155)
36	Per Capita State Art Agencies’ Legislative Appropriations (Table 156)
37	Average Weekly Earnings of Production Workers on Manufacturing Payrolls (Table 163)
38	Job Growth:  2003 to 2004 (Table 178)
39	Normal Daily Mean Temperature (Table 232)
40	Percent of Days That Are Sunny (Table 233)
41	Homeownership Rate (Table 422)
42	Domestic Migration of Population: 2003 to 2004 (Table 477)
43	Marriage Rate (Table 483)
44	Percent of Eligible Population Reported Voting (Table 494)

[Conspiracy Guy]

Hey we moved from 47 to 39. What criteria are used?

[Preachin']

"They include median household income, the crime rate and job growth."

Was the cost of living and housing cost a factor?

How about average distance driving to work?

This is a bunch of bull.

[ladtx]

Texas is 45?

Yeah 45 (and getting worse) so I would suggest everyone stay away. Come to Texas at you own peril. :o)

[roylene]

California - top 10 .. who did the ranking?

[Timmy]

Vermont, Mass, and New Jersey in Top Ten? I smell a left-wing bias. Sorry, but no way those are above Missouri, Texas, and so many others. They's ugly. They's high tax. And they's full of liberal varmints.

[bourbon]

(((MS "#50 Again!" Ping)))

[Mudboy Slim]

"5 Virginia 31.57 7"

Last year, Seventh...this year, Fifth...tomorrow, the World!! Mooovin' on UP...

Interesting that NH is Number One as it is the State all them libertarian RightWingers have vowed to take over poltically. Wyoming, too, is a relatively libertarian state. Perhaps we're seeing a link between being Most Livable and Limiting Guv'ment interference in our day-to-day lives.

FReegards...MUD

[roylene]

Me too! Guess thats the public education here!

[Tijeras_Slim]

Hey we moved from 47 to 39. What criteria are used?

Accessibility to fried foods and denial of sex toys.

[Tijeras_Slim]

It must hurt to have New Mexico whup yer butt... :)

[DM1]

NH is not too bad for conservatives though it seems to get a little worse every year

[One Proud Dad]

This is crap. The states that I or relatives have lived in and hated are ranked high while the ones we loved are low.

Must be a Gallup poll.

[Bob Buchholz]

I wish they would explain why all those damn yankees that used to live in the high ranked states keep moving down South to the low ranked states.

[missyme]

Oh YES New Hampshire and Vermont are an ideal place to live, that is why I can get more people out of those states to come out west especially in the lovely winter
months.

[ladtx]

Texas.

After all it is a whole other country.

[Uncle Miltie]

Having lived in Washington, I can confirm that North Dakota is more livable. Especially for a conservative.