Here’s how Americans rank the 50 states

[China]

1 hour ago, Califan007 said:

I've spent most of my life either in California or Virginia. California needs to be ranked ahead of VA.

 

Maybe it's the earthquakes that knocked it down a few pegs lol...

 

 

Or the fact that it's perennially on fire:

 

 

[mammajamma]

4 minutes ago, Bacon said:

I would rank states largely based on what they can offer at their best rather than simply being safe and competently run, so I couldn't have California too low. It's a disaster, but it offers so much more than most states. I would say its ranking is mostly right and would rather live here than most states.

 

Then again, I think we have too many states and there are only 15-20 decent ones. 🙃

ya, it has more beauty, more things to do, and better weather than like 95% of other states. the wildfires are getting worse, but only typically an issue (2020 excluded) for people living in the secluded mountain areas where we probably shouldn't have developed anyway

[Bacon]

Just now, mammajamma said:

ya, it has more beauty, more things to do, and better weather than like 95% of other states. the wildfires are getting worse, but only typically an issue (2020 excluded) for people living in the secluded mountain areas where we probably shouldn't have developed anyway

I live in Toluca Lake and it's paradise if you can afford it. Not only in terms of looks and safety, but for being adjacent to so much culture and opportunity. States that offer experiences like that, including pockets of MD and VA, deserve fairly high rankings. Yeah, land in Nebraska is affordable, but there's a reason for that. 

[China]

[Destino]

If no one hates Wyoming, why does do one live there?  We should rent it out if no one is going to use it. 

[Califan007 The Constipated]

3 hours ago, China said:

 

Or the fact that it's perennially on fire:

 

 

 

 

There was one time I drove back home from work and could see wildfires on the mountains in the distance. When I got to my exit ramp it was closed off...had to drive about 3 exits up and take side roads to my apartment. When I got to my apartment the parking lot was almost empty...one guy was putting some stuff in his car and told me that the residents were told there was a volunteer evacuation issued: you could stay but was suggested that you leave for the night. I stayed. When I entered my apartment there was a layer of ash on my living room furniture (I had left my window open)...I walked out on my balcony and could see a few flames in the distance (I didn't live too far from the mountain foothills). Thought I'd be artistic and grabbed my camera to take some photos--got to the end of the block before the ash in the air was too irritating and went back home.

 

Another time I was riving home from classes at CalArts and there had been a wildfire in the area...the flames had come up close to the freeway and emergency behicles and personnel were there, waving everyone through. A few years later (after I was divorced) my ex-wife sent me a photo from the backyard of our house--we had lived really close to the 118, and there were flames on the other side of the highway on the hills (don't think any houses were in that area) and everyone on the block could see the flames from their yards.

 

I'd still choose California over Virginia lol...

 

 

Edited April 14, 2021 by Califan007
Typos as usual

[TradeTheBeal!]

California is 6x the size of Virginia.

California is 8x the population of Virginia.

 

California is 90% desert wasteland that steals water from other states.  A try hard, Botox wannabe that would collapse and be useless if they didn’t grow avocados.
 

Virginia is the home of Dave Matthews.

[Califan007 The Constipated]

15 minutes ago, TryTheBeal! said:

Virginia is the home of Dave Matthews.

 

 

There you have it: California wins.

[TradeTheBeal!]

10 minutes ago, Califan007 said:

 

 

There you have it: California wins.

 

[abdcskins]

I'd like to know what criteria people are using to make these rankings.  Weather?  Natural beauty?  Economy? Culture? Food/restaurants? Overall livability and quality of the neighborhoods?  The people that inhabit them?  I dunno, so many factors.  I personally like every state I've ever been to, and I feel like I have been to many.  The only thing that would turn me off would be there being absolutely nothing to do in terms of culture, such as a lack of museums, social spaces, parks, stores/restaurants, and things of that nature.  Nature and cool places to explore are also very important.

 

I agree Nevada seems unusually high.  As far as I can tell, most of that state is desert with a few large cities that offer gambling and casinos.  Can't say I have spent much time there other than Vegas so who knows, maybe it is a vibrant state with tons of diversity and intellectual stimulation.  

 

California is pretty cool, I've lived here damn near 21 years now.  Natural beauty is unmatched.  Only thing that really sucks about it is the traffic and cost of living.  I suppose there are parts of it that are overcrowded which goes hand in hand with the traffic.   

 

 

[Larry]

2 hours ago, abdcskins said:

California is pretty cool, I've lived here damn near 21 years now.  Natural beauty is unmatched. 

 

Brother was really fond of Portland, OR.  If you're the outdoorsey type, it seems ideal.  

 

Drive an hour west, and you're on a beach where you can surf all year.  The beach will be rocky.  And the water cool.  You'll need a wet suit.  But you can.  

 

Drive an hour east, and you're in the Rockies, and you can go snowboarding all year round.  

[purbeast]

VA being #3 is LOL.

 

MD and VA are the same ****.  Anyone who lives in the DMV area knows this.  Any parts in VA and MD outside of the DMV area don't actually exist either so they don't count.

 

Also the whole "Virginia is for lovers" bull**** should probably put VA dead last just for that dumb ****.

 

And anyone who would choose to retire in VA, if the entire country (or outside) was in play, is LLUUNNCCHHIINN.

[Califan007 The Constipated]

2 hours ago, abdcskins said:

I'd like to know what criteria people are using to make these rankings.  Weather?  Natural beauty?  Economy? Culture? Food/restaurants? Overall livability and quality of the neighborhoods?  The people that inhabit them?  I dunno, so many factors.  I personally like every state I've ever been to, and I feel like I have been to many.  The only thing that would turn me off would be there being absolutely nothing to do in terms of culture, such as a lack of museums, social spaces, parks, stores/restaurants, and things of that nature.  Nature and cool places to explore are also very important.

 

I agree Nevada seems unusually high.  As far as I can tell, most of that state is desert with a few large cities that offer gambling and casinos.  Can't say I have spent much time there other than Vegas so who knows, maybe it is a vibrant state with tons of diversity and intellectual stimulation.  

 

California is pretty cool, I've lived here damn near 21 years now.  Natural beauty is unmatched.  Only thing that really sucks about it is the traffic and cost of living.  I suppose there are parts of it that are overcrowded which goes hand in hand with the traffic.   

 

 

 

I agree with using what a state has to offer as a barometer, that's mostly what I use. The more variety it offers, both planned and unexpected, the more I enjoy being there. I also agree that a lot of states are really nice, at least visually (Ohio is definitely not on that list lol). I think Virginia is beautiful, personally. And Hawaii beats California for natural beauty, imo.

 

Cali offers a lot that most states do not or cannot, though. It's almost as if, no matter what type of place or environment you want to live in, California has it.

 

Plus you get to regularly see dolphins swimming along PCH, see whales at Venice Beach--that was a ****ing trip...seeing it dip into the water and then its tail rise up and splash down. And it wasn't part of a whale watching excursion, just happens out of the blue.

 

And you will see celebrities in restaurants, and pulling up next to you at a red light--I had Richie Sambora and Heather Locklear start to park next to me at a bookstore but I was putting my daughter in her child safety seat in the back so they waited...I had no idea it was them. I gave them a "thank you" wave as I went to the driver's side to get in and saw them get out of their car lol. Heather said my daughter was beautiful and asked her age. I pretended like I didn't care that they were celebrities. And that was not in L.A., it was in Westlake Village. Mel Gibson apparently liked my artwork I had hanging at a local coffee shop (also in Westlake Village)--the owner said he and Gary Busey sometimes visit the shop due to them all being in the same group rehab situation for alcohol and they became friends, I guess. I love living someplace where cool, unexpected moments can and do happen, whether it's people or nature or whatever. It perks life up a bit.

[Captain Wiggles]

38 minutes ago, purbeast said:

VA being #3 is LOL.

 

MD and VA are the same ****.  Anyone who lives in the DMV area knows this.  Any parts in VA and MD outside of the DMV area don't actually exist either so they don't count.

 

Also the whole "Virginia is for lovers" bull**** should probably put VA dead last just for that dumb ****.

 

And anyone who would choose to retire in VA, if the entire country (or outside) was in play, is LLUUNNCCHHIINN.

 

[tshile]

5 hours ago, China said:

Took me a minute to realize even florida hates florida 

45 minutes ago, purbeast said:

MD and VA are the same ****.  Anyone who lives in the DMV area knows this. 

I get that maybe the Marylanders that live in the dmv have this yearning to be like Virginians and to be accepted as Virginians and to pretend that the only difference is an arbitrary line....

 

but nah you all are down the list for a reason and honestly it was a rather gracious ranking. Should be further down. 

[purbeast]

3 minutes ago, tshile said:

Took me a minute to realize even florida hates florida 

I get that maybe the Marylanders that live in the dmv have this yearning to be like Virginians and to be accepted as Virginians and to pretend that the only difference is an arbitrary line....

 

but nah you all are down the list for a reason and honestly it was a rather gracious ranking. Should be further down. 

MD is down the list because it has places like Salisbury and Cambridge.

 

VA being higher than CA?

 

LOL

O

L

[Captain Wiggles]

NC beaches > CA beaches 🤗

 

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

1 hour ago, purbeast said:

VA being #3 is LOL.

 

MD and VA are the same ****.  Anyone who lives in the DMV area knows this.  Any parts in VA and MD outside of the DMV area don't actually exist either so they don't count.

 

Also the whole "Virginia is for lovers" bull**** should probably put VA dead last just for that dumb ****.

 

And anyone who would choose to retire in VA, if the entire country (or outside) was in play, is LLUUNNCCHHIINN.

 

The parts outside of the DMV don't exist?  What?  They do, physically.  In real life.

 

Maryland is chronically losing its rural land.  Baltimore and DC are virtually connected thru Frederick and Howard County with a City/Suburbian connection.  It will only get worse.

 

Then you go in to the suburbs surrounding that and it's fugly.

 

The mountains and river areas are what we're talking about.

 

Maryland and Virginia beaches are pretty lame, relatively speaking.

 

Virginia is a HUGE state, hard to comprehend when comparing to stupidly-large states.  It has an amazing amount of rural land.  Awesome exploration, camping and fishing.  I am MARYLAND for lyfe, but its equal qualities cannot match the amount of qualities of VA.

 

All MD has is the web-of-the-glove of the bay, over VA.

 

And even that is getting overrun by people...

 

MD is finished.

 

Virginia, TKO, Round 11.

[TheDoyler23]

Last time I drove through all that country  Virginia splendor it was ruined by the sight of dozens of confederate flags. 

 

[tshile]

40 minutes ago, purbeast said:

VA being higher than CA?

 

LOL

O

L

I understand why this criticism makes sense....

 

but between the cost of living issues, the draught issues (which while related to the wild fires, is also an issue on its own), the wild fires, and the fact that California seems to do everything it’s own special way, I could absolutely see why many people would rank it lower than other states. 
 

I’m not sure I personally would rank Virginia higher than California.... but I also understand why something like this might produce that result.

 

but that’s really not the point. The point is Maryland sucks. 

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

4 minutes ago, TheDoyler23 said:

Last time I drove through all that country  Virginia splendor it was ruined by the sight of dozens of confederate flags. 

 

 

Last time I drove thru that downtown city splendor my car got jumped on by protesters because I let go of my gas going home with my family a little a bit.

 

I'd rather see flags.

[tshile]

22 minutes ago, TheDoyler23 said:

Last time I drove through all that country  Virginia splendor it was ruined by the sight of dozens of confederate flags. 

 

Yeah.... this is fair. 
 

we definitely have our share of pieces of garbage. 

[PleaseBlitz]

6 hours ago, Destino said:

If no one hates Wyoming, why does do one live there?  We should rent it out if no one is going to use it. 

 

I almost put "Wyoming" in the conspiracy theories that you believe in thread.  

 

Wyoming may not even exist.  Have you ever met anyone from Wyoming?  No surprise the Cheney's are in on misleading the American public again.  I think they made it up just so we'd have a round number of states. 

Edited April 14, 2021 by PleaseBlitz

[Warhead36]

Virginia is awesome. I think Minnesota should be a bit higher too having lived there for a little bit. Maryland should be bottom 5 lolol.

[Califan007 The Constipated]

1 hour ago, clietas said:

NC beaches > CA beaches 🤗

 

 

 

Are their beaches flat, for miles in all directions, like in Florida? Never been to NC but have been to Florida and their beaches. Wasn't impressed.