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The most (and least) livable states

A new poll suggests that today's relatively affluent states are likely to still be among the best places to live in the future. But residents in those states often are less optimistic about the future than those in poorer states.

By Michael B. Sauter, Alexander E. M. Hess, Lisa Uible and Samuel Weigley, 24/7 Wall St.

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394Comments
koz42
Sep 25, 2012 8:22AM
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Well I hate all these battle ground states crap, If you live in a republican state or a democratic state and you are not one of those then your vote does not count in the presidential election.... it's all the electorial college (or kindergarten) I once suggested to a congressman that maybe there should be an added 2 or 3 electoral college votes for the popular vote and then watch the turn out. Well you would think I had slapped him in the face "My God we can't do that!" he said Most of the campaign money si spent in these battleground states and only benifits the few
Jester1540
Sep 25, 2012 12:20AM
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After Obama is done with the country, every state will suck to live in, it is almost that way now, but the bleeding hearts want 4 more years to put the final nails into the coffin.
Emily Nabutsu
Sep 24, 2012 11:09PM
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Welp, maybe in 5 years Illinois will take a turn for the best. Thanks a lot, Blagojevich. 
kentlady215
Sep 24, 2012 10:26PM
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michigan has  gone to hell and only helps  people with kids  that need welfare if you are older and need help and cannot work don;t come to michigan  nothing here  for older person.

 

Daniel Nichols
Sep 24, 2012 9:52PM
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Am I the only one confused by the tangled mess of a "best and worst" listing? It seems to just jump around between best and worst residential outlooks in completely non-sequential order if you can even say there is an order. Also why is it that The better the residential outlook, the more horrible of a review on the state? I honestly don't know the answer and if someone could inform me that'd be great.
Avidhawk247
Sep 20, 2012 1:56PM
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Not surprised to see Iowa in this mix, great place to live.
palinsafreak
Sep 15, 2012 9:56AM
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so, in closing, we can all agree that Bush sucks
Slim Cognito
Sep 15, 2012 5:26AM
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Seems like somebody hasn't been to downtown Salt Lake City...not including Temple Square.
Karen Muller (lightdeprived)
Sep 14, 2012 6:54PM
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gotta love that pic of Ohio with a nuclear reactor and mill smoke stacks spewing tons of toxins into the air - and they rank 4th best per residents?? wow - that  air must be heavily drugged - - I will stay with gray, drizzly, rainy, green, blue, Washington - with our clean air, low unemployment rate, high taxes and all ---
JRSYMIKE
Sep 14, 2012 5:11PM
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If obama gets four more years no state will be a safe place to live. With all the illegal mexican drug dealers crossing the border daily.
puppcry
Sep 14, 2012 4:34PM
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The problem with all the states that this article tagged as the "best" places to live are horrible to retire in.  Most of them have a high cost of living--especially in Hawaii.  And a number of them tax social security (boo, hiss).  All the states that you deemed the "worst" have high poverty levels and higher crime (it kind of goes hand in hand) but the cost of living is near nothing, property taxes are rock bottom and they don't tax social security or pensions.  I'd love to live in some of the "best" places.  If I could figure out how to do  that on my reitrement, I would.
tdrinker
Sep 14, 2012 4:31PM
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Why am I so stupid to always fall for and read all these stupid polls? Nobody in their right minds wants to live in the Upper Midwest with that weather. Great people but the battle to live and work is tougher every year you live. New Orleans is what it is , but it has the best food in the USA and a pride of community that no other place has.Utah is Mork and Mindy land unless you are a Mork or a Mindy. Va & MD get their money from the Feds and it shows.Nice lifestyle, house prices are good etc, it will keep up until the revolution. W.VA well I feel sorry for those people because there is real poverty. They get shafted by the coal companies, all the do gooders who are going to end poverty, and the living there is tough. Most of the South is again what it is , mostly good people who were brought up with old fashioned values and don't feel too comfortable with all this fast change of pace.

Before you move anywhere you have to say am I a city boy or a country boy. After 9 pm what do I want to do ? Is it always going to be the same road out of the compound and do I like that?  How are we going to meet the neighhbors and what is the price of admission. Do we do it through Church,kids, club house, wife swapping? What is important to me?

Rob A1B2
Sep 14, 2012 4:15PM
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I didn't even read this article, but my answer is simple.........far away from muslims!

Randy Lindsey
Sep 14, 2012 4:05PM
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Most of the southern states are listed as "least livable."  This is so very true. Ya'll stay right where you are now, and don't be moving to those "backward" southern states where people don't have convenient places to exercise and only go to a dentist once per year. You wouldn't like living with those folks who cling to their guns and their Bibles anyway.
Mike133
Sep 14, 2012 3:41PM
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Please make your ranking system more confusing as this article was not hard enough to understand.

 

Mike133
Sep 14, 2012 3:41PM
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Please make your ranking system more confusing as this article was not hard enough to understand.

 

Freqflr
Sep 14, 2012 3:39PM
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Are you kidding?  The US Govt. keeps Virginia and Maryland alive.  Who in their right mind would CHOOSE to live in North or South Dakota...or Iowa or Nebraska or Minnesota for that matter?  Which leaves only two states worth considering...Colora​do and Utah.  ...and if Romney gets elected the whole country will become like Utah.....Colorado...​.bar the gates! 
michant
Sep 14, 2012 3:35PM
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UTAH? The fact that they rate this the most livable state in the country proves how absolutley bogus this article is.
wotsup
Sep 14, 2012 3:04PM
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In five Years??  6 feet under I would wager, don't matter where if so.
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