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

[bourbon]

"Mississippi will never be last again!"
-- former (F.O.B. "New Democrat") Governor of Mississippi Ray Mabus in 1987.

[jwalburg]

Hey! Nebraska is 10! South Dakota is 9! So glad I'm in a liveable area. I didn't even know it.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Then why did we climb 8 spots? ; )

[jwalburg]

Oh. Weather isn't factored in I guess.

[Taft in '52]

How could New Hampshire be number one? I've been from Portsmouth to Dixville Notch and have yet to find a decent burrito.

[Doohickey]

Good thing reading comprehension wasn't ranked - you're looking at the alpha list. You're #35.

[altoidboy]

I could think up my own list of 44 criteria and come up with a ranking that is the opposite of this list.

I've lived in four states, three of which are in the last 10. I would completely disagree that those three were any less livable than the one state I lived in that's not in the last 10 (actually, it's in the top 10).

[Moose4]

33 Expenditures for Education as a Percent of All State and Local Government Expenditures (Table 139)
36 Per Capita State Art Agencies’ Legislative Appropriations (Table 156)

While I'm happy that my beloved Commonwealth of Virginia is #5, any survey that uses the above as positives is very suspect.

South Carolina was #44 and having lived there for 7 1/2 years, only recently leaving, I can tell you it is a MUCH better place to live than most other states ranked higher on the list.

}:-)4

[L98Fiero]

What a bunk list. Apparently, "livable" means "higher concentrations of rich white people".

I am happy to live in the least livable state. My 10 year old, 2-story brick house with a pool cost $104,000. The last time I bought gas, I paid $1.76 a gallon. It's probably 70 degrees outside right now.

Man, I hate it here. ;)

[Tijeras_Slim]

I dunno, but we still have cockfighting here... that's a plus.

[MineralMan]

Well, since I moved from CA to MN last summer, I guess I moved up. I'll let you know after this weekend's snows.

[television is just wrong]

quick tell all to move to N.H. maybe we can have some elbow room here in Los Angeles.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Some people just don't know what part of the world is really worth living in...

[Mr. Jeeves]

Already self-corrected in post #23. What was that about reading comprehension, again? ;)

[Doohickey]

I hadn't gotten that far yet :P

[FormerACLUmember]

The states with the most lawyers and/or the most corrupt legal systems tend to be at the bottom.

As they say in NH: Live Free or Die!

[Centurion2000]

This is a JOKE survey.

How can a place be rated to be livivable when cost of living is not even a factor in the equations ??

[AsYouAre]

Hmmm....Michigan moved up 6 spots from #34 to #28. How did that happen? I live in Michigan and am optimistic, but last I checked we have an unemployment rate of 7.1 percent.

[NautiNurse]

Who is Morgan Quitno anyway?

[crv16]

High ranked states typically have low crime, low unemployment, good health care, highly educated populace and a high standard of living.

While you may disagree with the *politics* of some of these states, the standards by which these ratings were calculated were applied uniformly.