Posted on 09/12/2006 8:54:13 AM PDT by stainlessbanner
A new Harris Poll shows that Florida has become a slightly less-popular state for Americans to live in, while Orlando's popularity climbed into the top 15 cities for living.
Florida has fallen a notch to become the third-most-popular state U.S. adults would choose to live in if they could live in any state outside of their own.
The top-ranked state is California, which has been No. 1 for the last four years. Next up was Hawaii, which flip-flopped spots with Florida.
The rest of the top 10 most-popular states people said they would like to live in were:
* North Carolina, No. 4, up from a tie for No. 8 the year before
* Texas, No. 5, also moving up from No. 8 the year before
* Washington, No. 6, moving up from No. 11
* Colorado, No. 7, dropping from No. 4
* New York, No. 8, dropping from No. 5
* Arizona. No. 9, dropping from No. 6
* Oregon, No. 10, dropping from No. 7
When Harris Poll asked respondents their favorite U.S. city to live in or near, the only Florida area to make the top 15 was Orlando, at No. 14. The city ranked too low to be included in the top 14 the year before, but was No. 12 the year before that.
The No. 1 U.S. city in the ranking was New York City. Following it, in order, were San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle and Las Vegas.
Harris put its survey's sampling error at plus or minus 2 percentage points.
The poll was conducted online with U.S. citizens between Aug. 8-17. Harris surveyed 3,685 adults and weighted the results for age, sex, race, education, region, online presence and household income to be proportional with the population.
They actually had to go more than a 20 mile radius from Manhattan to get THIS one.
I've lived in Miami for 30 years and love the place. There are definitely things about it that take getting used to though, such as the large Latin and Island populations. And it's true enough that only certain parts of it are really attractive.
Also, it is a large metropolis, which isn't for everyone, but OTOH, it is hemmed in narrowly on both east and west by the Gulf Stream and the Everglades, so you can get out of town and into "the country" very quick.
Miami is almost tropical as well, which is unique in the continental US.
Oregon is a horrible place to retire to or live so get the word out no one likes Oregon.
There is not one good thing about this state so please save yourselves grief and do not come here.
(ya think that will work?)
I live in Seminole County and have John Mica for Representative...terrific guy.
Parts of Winter Park and Maitland are lovely..and as you say- pricey.
I with you two.
In a survey about the best state in which to live, there are 50 possible answers -- so the sample size would have to be much larger to get a similar distribution across all answers.
Tom Feeney is mine ;D!
A few months of a/c is well worth the 8 months of paradise. I wouldn't live anywhere else but FL.
I have land waiting in C. FL for retirement, paid cash, it's doubled in value already in a year.
You guys enjoy the snow ay?
The people that I know who live in New York City cannot imagine that any place is better.
However, the few that I know who have moved out of New York City wonder what they were thinking and cannot imagine moving back to NYC.
There is nothing in Florida but alligators, snakes, mosquitoes and Democrats. Please do not come down here!
I guess it's what you're used to. I've visited a few times and it just didn't appeal (but then neither did Orlando). I lived in NYC for a couple of years way back when dinosaurs (like Nixon) ruled the earth and it was by far and away the worst place I ever lived. I didn't like anything about it from the self absorbed attitudes of New Yorkers to the constant smell of bus exhaust, burning garbage, and dog squeeze. Not to mention that you had to bribe everyone to do their job. The super would fix anything without a bribe, etc.
Nope. I wasn't thinking of them!
I grew up in a rural area of VA and thought I'd never like the big city. Finally I got used to it, though.
Given a choice, I'd live in a rural area again, but with a city within reach. It helped in Miami that I could get out on the ocean or into the back country.
I visit Manhattan at times and enjoy it. But I think the people there have become more friendly than they were in the 70's.
Western NJ is beautiful too. I recently drove from Trenton to Scranton, PA. Was kind of stunned at how pretty the trip was.
Good for you! It's a comfortable 91 today but a mere 76 degrees with 47% humidity in my home office. I can live with that. Beach is 35 miles east. The fishing is wonderful and how about that shuttle launch viewed from my front yard. Life is tough!
I enjoy snow for about a weekend, then I'm too sore to ski and it's time to head home.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.