What state is the best to live in?

California is a wonderful state to live in. Earthquakes USUALLY aren't such a big problem...we don't have them for years, and even when we do, they're 'usually' small. Besides...other states have hurricanes, tornados, and other natural disasters that can cause a much greater amount of damage. Unfortunately, every place has its drawbacks.

California is very expensive too, but of course, there are still affordable areas in the state. Unfortunately, those cheaper areas are few, but they do exist. You really have to have a good job to live a decent life in most cities here.

The weather here is gorgeous most of the year. (It rained too much this year ;), but in general, most of the time the weather around here is wonderful year-round.) I have been to SO many parts of the world, and really haven't experienced this wonderful weather anywhere else. I think California's main attraction is the weather. We don't have much humidity at all, so even when we have a heat wave during the summer months, it is still more bearable than a place where you'd have heat AND humidity together. The intensity of summer also depends on the area you live in. Some areas get really hot. Others tend to stay cool year round. There are certain cities near the coast that hardly get hot at all. In general, our summers aren't too hot. They can get hot, but most summers have a hot week or two, and then it cools down again. Winter's nice and mild. The lowest it will get is in the mid 30s in most parts of California, and that is the 'night-time temperature'. It usually stays in the 40s-50s during winter. Spring time can bring allergies for those who are allergic to pollen. Thankfully, I have never had allergies, so it isn't an issue for me, but I know its something that some people would rather avoid. My dad and brother hate spring because of the allergies it brings. The only way to avoid pollen completely would be to move to a desert! :o

All in all, I love California. I was born here and lived here my whole life, and have always loved the state. We have everything from deserts to snowy areas, rocky mountains, fertile mountains and hills, beautiful beaches, numerous rivers, lakes, forests, gorgeous national parks. There are so many BEAUTIFUL breath-taking areas here. You can find pretty much everything in this wonderful state. I also love the agricultural part of California. Good weather year round makes the state perfect to grow all sorts of fruits...pretty much anything. I love the fact that we can grow whatever fruit we want in our own backyard.

People here, in general are very open-minded, and nice, but of course you have jerks everywhere. ;) Another thing I love about California is the diversity. You're accepted for whoever you are by the local people, in general, and that is a good thing. Of course there are good and bad people everywhere. Safety depends on the area/city. Some cities here are incredibly safe, while others have quite high crime ratings. All depends on the city...as California is a very big state. My neighborhood is very safe, and kids play outside around here all the time, but of course not every neighborhood is like that.

Having lived in California my whole life, I can say that besides the outrageous cost of living (which can be a HUGE drawback for some), and occasional earthquakes, its a wonderful state to live in. There aren't many places in the world where you can go skiing one April morning, and come back home to nice 65 degree temperatures on the same day...then go to the beach the next day.

Another state I absolutely LOVE is Oregon. Oregon is just a cheaper California...really. There's more greenry there, and more rain, but otherwise, its very similar to California in so many ways. The good thing...its not expensive. ;) Washington is nice too, but its WAY too rainy for me.

Hope you find the perfect state you're looking for...and I hope this helps in giving a better picture of the good and bad sides of California. ;)

I'd vote Ohio or Utah.
Utah especially.

Florida is FAR from the best. It's the worst state i've ever been to. Of course, if tons of tourists, bugs, hurricanes, humid and hot weather are your thing - it's perfect!

Might I recommend TN? Many rural areas and the cities have a nice community feel to them. Gorgeous scenery (with an admittedly high pollen count), mild winters, plenty to do (come check out Dayton, TN's Strawberry Festival!), and near to some nice vacation spots that a few days at the beach are fairly easy to arrange if you can get the time off from work. :D

Tennesee is gorgeous, too! It does get hot like Florida does, unfortunately, though.

I lived in Tumwater (sometimes our address said Olympia), Washington for two years and loved it. Yeah, it rains almost every day, but, it's not a downpour, usually, just showers. And, you get rainbows all the time. And, blue skies, green green grass, and, trees! I never had a problem with allergies there, and, if you like the outdoors, it's a great place. If you like music, too, Seattle is awesome. :) I think you should do some research online, though, there are lots of lists that can help you, especially if you have a criteria. Lists like "safest city", "smartest state", etc. Good luck!

I can only speak about the places I have visited or lived in. I love living in SC, especially in the town where I reside now. We're withing 30 minutes of the beautiful NC mountains, and we have good schools (public and private) for our children to be educated in. We experience 4 seasons, but none of them severe. We are lucky to get snow once/year. NC is probably a bit more progressive of a state than SC, and I wouldn't mind living there. I also love Tennessee, where I would have moved many years ago, had I not had a young daughter who needed to live closer to her father. Georgia is also a beautiful state, with many good areas.

You need to take a Pet Talk tour, and visit many of us to find that perfect spot!!!! :)

Logan

Oregon is a beautiful state with a little of everything just an hour or two away.
In that time I can be at the coast, the desert, or the mountains. If you like the outdoors there's lots of fishing, hiking, biking, that sort of thing.

People tend to be less hurried and more informal compared to the east coast.

If you want an area that is more liberal in its outlook and politics, than the greater Portland area is the place to be as far as tolerance to gay/lesbian people.

On the downside - some of the policies of the 1990's are backfiring on us. Our school systems lack adequate funding. The state employee pension program is draining our resources. While we seem to have a glut right now in home/apartment rentals, the cost to buy a home is just outrageous. Gasoline prices are some of the highest in the nation and we've been slow to bounce back from the recession.

I don't live in the states, but if I had the option I'd love to live in either California, Oregon, or Washington. :)

Good luck!

I live in Utah. A bit of a biased opinion but I think it's very beautiful here. There are many of nice communities. It does get cold in the winter, we do get snow. It's not very humid at all though, which I love.

p.s. If you have pets you don't have to worry about fleas.

Ok, I'm a little late with this, but DON'T live in Illinois!;) I visit Arizona and New Mexico a lot and they are both awsome!