Why? You can already begin to see why from what is happening both here and in Europe.
-Corrupt socialist/communist governments who think nothing of robbing you to keep the gravy train going for them and their union thugs.
-Large populations living off of entitlements. When the money runs out they will go all "NOLA after Katrina". These people have never produced anything and they have never worked a day in their lives. The only way they know of housing/feeding and clothing themselves is to steal it from others-either through 'entitlements' or outright stealing it. This also includes places where there are lots of "academics" and "professional students"-they are some of the biggest pigs at the trough.
-Unionized government workers including police/fire. Look at what happened in Wisconsin for just a taste of the kind of crap they will pull. Wisconsin showed us that it is a very small step for the police to go from "to protect and serve" to violence, extortion and corruption.
-Laws that severely restrict the ownership of firearms and their use as a method of self defense.
I would also try to be at least 100 miles from the nearest city of over 100,000. Why? The vast majority of people in the US keep about enough gas in their cars to go 100 miles. Plus the attrition rate on the "golden horde" (via getting shot looting, breaking through roadblocks, etc.) will take out the vast majority of them before they go 100 miles.
History teaches that when the economy dies, civilization dies. Civilization will survive there long after it is only a memory written in the ruins of the great secular cities and countries. Learn a lesson from the fall of the Roman Empire. When it died, so did trade. Roads and laws were not maintained thus it became impossible to obtain goods and services that were not locally based.
Look for states with strong governments with a general population that is self sufficient and strong then look for places with strong communities and churches within those states. Look for places where most basic goods are locally (or in state) produced. When the economy goes the US goes.The feds (like the Romans) will try to keep control but will not have the manpower nor the wherewithal to do so, they will fall like a termite riddled house. The country will fracture into smaller units (individual states or regional unions). If I had to choose a region or two I would choose Texas, Oklahoma, the Dakotas, eastern Montana (too many Californians and other 'bleu staters' in the western part), Utah except for the Wasatch front (too many Californians and other 'bleu staters' there), Alabama, Oklahoma, Alaska (except for Anchorage and Juneau). Almost all of the places I have mentioned have infestations of Californians and other 'bleu staters' but it should not be too difficult to seperate the wheat from the chaff so to speak and send the chaff down the road back to where they came from. If TSHTF the illegals would self deport in droves-when the host runs out of blood the ticks fall off.
“Look for states with strong governments with a general population that is self sufficient and strong then look for places with strong communities and churches within those states.”
An eminently wise choice. Safety in numbers and all that. Associate with like-minded people who believe in the Constitution, are armed and trained to use those arms.