The worst (and the best) places to live in the future)

The worst and the best places to live in the near future? I know one thing for sure - the worst places are because people made it that way. The people who caused this will NOT be welcome in the better states so they can ruin them. Gallup has it's opinion and there are many valid points, but I prefer the hard science presented below the Gallup article. BOTTOM LINE - you need to review all facts and make an educated decision. What works for me might not work for you....

Link to the poll: http://www.gallup.com/poll/156449/utah-poised-best-state-live.aspx

The WORST (According to the Poll)
Source: The Fiscal Times

1) Mississippi
Mississippi continues to have a higher-than-average unemployment rate of 8.7 percent, leaving over 116,000 without work. Many of those who are employed report being stuck in low-skilled jobs and feeling pessimistic about economic improvement,
according to the Gallup survey. In addition, 13 percent of Mississippi’s
population suffers from diabetes, 32 percent are obese, and 23 percent
are uninsured. The prospect of an untrained and unhealthy labor force
could detract businesses and residents in the future.
                                   
2) Kentucky
With a struggling automobile and
energy fuel industry, Kentucky has an unemployment rate on par with the
national average at 8.2 percent. The state also has a health crisis on
its hands: 13 percent of the population is obese and almost 20 percent
is uninsured.

3) Alabama
Alabama’s unemployment rate
remains at 7.4 percent and job creation continues at a slow pace. Some
of the state’s biggest metro areas and school districts, most notably
the county surrounding Birmingham, have recently filed for bankruptcy.
Twenty-eight percent of the population is also obese and 18 percent lack
health insurance.
                                   
4) Tennessee
The future for Tennesseans isn’t
looking so bright. Goods-producing and manufacturing industries, in
which Tennessee specializes, are expected to decline 1.5 percent per
year for the next decade, according to the Tennessee Labor Department.
Tennesseans might see their median household income, already 41st in
nation, continue to fall and their economic confidence falter. The state
also lags in health, with 28 percent of residents obese and 12 percent
diabetic.

5) New York
Though home to the country’s
biggest financial and cultural center, New York City, the overall state
is lagging in job creation and leading in housing costs, compounding in
unaffordable living standards. On top of which, 32 percent of the
population is obese, 25,000 die annually from smoking, and 23 percent
are uninsured.

6) New Jersey
New Jersey has one of the
country’s worst unemployment rates at 9.2 percent, in addition to slow
job creation. Home to some of the nation’s highest crime neighborhoods,
it’s little surprise that 51 percent of residents are pessimistic about
their future standard of living.
                                   
7) Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania matches the dismal
figures of its neighbors—only 66 percent of residents reported good
overall wellbeing and 49 percent were optimistic about the economic
progress in their area. That’s likely due to Pennsylvania’s 7.4 percent
unemployment rate and, despite having the 6th highest GDP in the nation
due to the state’s coal and steel industries, Pennsylvanians' GDP per
capita ranks 29th among the 50 states

Personally I would put California at the top of the worst list!

And the Best?? (progressive thinkers welcome)
By KATYA JOHNS, The Fiscal Times

July 23, 2012

Where will you want to live in 20 years? The hottest destinations in 2032 might include Iowa…and Minnesota.
When most people hear Iowa they think cornfields and primaries, not a
popular destination to move to. But based on the results of Gallup’s new
future livability index, which rated states on everything from economic
vitality to physical wellbeing, Midwest states like Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North and South Dakota, and Kansas received the highest marks. “The best place to live in 2032 will have tackled unemployment, financial worry, health care costs, obesity, and education challenges,” wrote Gallup researcher Dan Witters, who led the survey.
The Midwestern states have been more
successful in laying the foundations for the future than others. Many
currently have high employment and job creation rates,
and residents reported having easy access to clean water, all of which
may account for their optimism about the future—54 percent of
respondents say they're hopeful about the Midwest's economy. The
Mountain region came in as a close second, with residents in states like
Montana, Arizona and Colorado having easy access to clean air, water,
exercise, and health care.Other states didn’t fare so well. The
East and Central South region, which includes Kentucky, Alabama and
Mississippi, came in last, trailing in most of the 13 categories
including employment, job creation, and economic confidence. They were
also the most likely to have high rates of obesity and smoking.
So will 2032 be a repeat of 1840 with another westward migration to
resettle the heartland of America? Witters said that while he expects
these factors to have “some influence on who lives where and why, it
won’t create major demographic shifts".

In the upper Midwest around Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin these are an abundance of food cooperatives
http://reic.uwcc.wisc.edu/sites/all/grocery_coop_locations.jpg

Here is CNBC's List - we will add our opinion in red. The are better than most, but not ideal for everyone

The best places to do business are also the best places to live. At
least that’s how many states market themselves to the public. CNBC’s Top
States for Business study found quality of life is among the most
frequently mentioned selling points in state economic development
campaigns. That’s why quality of life is one of the most important
categories in our study of America’s Top States for Business, worth 350
out of 2,500 possible poin

1. New Hampshire
2012 Quality of Life Points: 298 out of 350
   2011 Quality of Life Rank: 2
   
   Quality of life is solid across the board in the Granite State. The
population is among the healthiest, in part because of the quality of
the environment. Want a little more civilization? Boston is just over
the border, offering New Hampshire residents the benefits of the big
city without the hassles. Crime in New Hampshire is among the lowest in
the country. Too many people from Massachusetts moving in and "suburbanizing" the Southern NH with high dollar condos, very expensive to live in, and cold in the winter with LOT'S of snow. Free thinking old Yankee independent politics with New Hampshireites in the northern 1/3 of the state, ultra left wing with transplants from Mass who have moved there.

2. Hawaii
2012 Quality of Life Points: 284 out of 350
   2011 Quality of Life Rank: 1
   
   Need we say more? It almost seems unfair to compare the Aloha State
to the rest. Visitors from around the world seek out America’s island
paradise. But when it comes to quality of life, Hawaii offers more than
stunning beauty. It is one of America’s healthiest states, and the near
reverence Hawaiians hold for the environment pays off with almost
unparalleled air and water quality. EXTREMELY expensive with little affordable housing, absolutely no right to self-defense, and hatred toward non-Hawaiians (Howlees). Left wing politics.
 
3. Vermont
2012 Quality of Life Points: 255 out of 350
   2011 Quality of Life Rank: 3
   
   It’s not just a nickname. The Green Mountain State has the numbers
to back its idyllic reputation. Crime is low, and the air and water
clean. Vermont is also one of the healthiest states overall. Much "suburbanization" around Burlington. Bad Mass attitudes and lot's of clod snowy weather. Independent politics with many young hipsters and old Yankee Vermonters. High COL but high wages and low unemployment, full town meeting to decide issues. Some ultra left wing extreme politics with older middle aged transplants from NY, NJ & MA taking over Burlington. Liberals are trying to kill town meeting unless it meets their extreme agenda. Stay Independent and stay away from Burlington & Rutland. Montpelier is a good town to live in. Live and let live, full gay marriage, and full self defense rights.


4. Maine
2012 Quality of Life Points: 254 out of 350
   2011 Quality of Life Rank: 6
   
   Maine’s nickname offers one clue why it does so well in quality of
life. The Pine Tree State has plenty of them, of course, and some of the
best scenery the Northeast has to offer. But it has more than that,
including the lowest crime rate in the country, and one of the
healthiest populations. Maine is great and affordable except along the coast. There are 2 Maines - affordable interior with nice Downeasters (once they get to know YOU), and the coast which has the typical Massachusetts snobbery. Very cold and snowy in the winter. Old Yankee independent politics except along coast where vile Massachusetts style left wing politics has taken over.  

5. (Tie) Minnesota
2012 Quality of Life Points: 250 out of 350
   2011 Quality of Life Rank: 8
   
Minnesota is the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and all that natural beauty
contributes to the quality of life. But there is more to the state than
that. The home of the Mayo Clinic is one of America’s healthiest states.
The crime rate is among the lowest in the country. Air quality is among
the best, too. From the cosmopolitan Twin Cities to the remote beauty
of the North Woods, Minnesota has it all. GREAT state, but VERY cold (think sub-zero) in the winter. Nice people! Moderate left wing in cities, right wing in rural areas. overall live-and-let-live independence without pretentiousness.  

5. (Tie) North Dakota
2012 Quality of Life Points: 250 out of 350
   2011 Quality of Life Rank: 9
   
   The Peace Garden State rivals its neighbor to the south in measures
of environmental quality. And the growing pains resulting from the
state’s oil boom do not seem to have hurt its quality of life. Crime is
low, too. North Dakota does rank at the low end when it comes to parks
and recreation, but it’s still a great place to live. Lot's of jobs and LOT'S of SUB ZERO (40 below) in the winter. Nice People! Outside cities you are VERY isolated. Right wing politics.

7. South Dakota
2012 Quality of Life Points: 247 out of 350
   2011 Quality of Life Rank: 5
   
   Looking for the freshest air in the country? Then, head to the Mount
Rushmore State, which offers a practically pristine environment. Crime
is low; livability is high. Despite the famous Mount Rushmore National
Memorial and the Badlands National Park, South Dakota lags many states
when it comes to recreational areas, but overall quality of life is not
bad at all. Lot's of jobs and LOT'S of SUB ZERO (40 below) in the winter. Nice People! Outside cities you are VERY isolated. Extreme Right Wing politics.

8. Colorado
2012 Quality of Life Points: 246 out of 350      
2011 Quality of Life Rank: 7    

The Centennial State offers an intoxicating mix of urban flair and        
natural beauty. Quality of life is a Mile High. Colorado ranks as one of
America’s healthiest states, with low incidences of cancer and obesity.
Colorado suffers in some environmental measures, and finishes in the
middle of the pack for crime, but on balance it is one of the best
states in which to live. Beautiful state, sustainability, clean air. Expensive and more government control thanks to the Californians with money that have taken over. Cities are extremeultra left wing liberals.  

9. Wyoming
2012 Quality of Life Points: 244 out of 350      
2011 Quality of Life Rank: 4    
In the Cowboy State, it’s great to be home on the range. You can        
feel safe there, too, with one of the lowest crime rates in the country.
The air is fresh and the water is clean. Wyoming also finishes in the
top tier when it comes to health. Lot's of jobs and cold weather in the winter, VERY windy. Nice People! Outside cities you are VERY isolated. Extreme right wing politics.

10. Utah
2012 Quality of Life Points: 237 out of 350        
2011 Quality of Life Rank: 14    

The Beehive State gets its nickname from the industriousness of its        
people, but there is plenty for them to do when they’re not at work. A
top destination for international visitors in search of America’s
natural beauty, Utah offers tranquility and a very low crime rate. It is
also among America’s healthiest states, though the state’s active
mining industry hurts in some. Lot's of jobs and cold weather in the winter. Nice People! Outside cities you are VERY isolated. LDS control of entire state (Mormons). Very puritanical with limits on when and where you can buy alcohol. Some towns are fenced in compounds where extremist polygamists control everything - Beware! Ultra right wing extremism at it's best.

One thing is for certain - the local native born people do NOT appreciate big city attitudes. Do not show up in your Hummer looking for a $300K Condo, or employ your "I'm going to make it like it was were I came from" attitude. We have seen this happen in Colorado thanks to Californians, and Vermont due to PPL from Massachusetts. The invisible signs are already at these states borders - the greedy, pretentious and extremists are NOT welcome here! Keep your evangelism in KY, MS, AL and TN - and keep your greed and bad attitudes in NY, NJ, MA, CA and IL.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Here is the SCIENCE about what states will NOT be livable

Gallup snubs Washington's livability, but climate gets the last say

America's leading pollster gauges the "future livability" of America's
states, and Washington lags behind... North Dakota? But Gallup didn't
consider the biggest factor of all.


Projected temperature increases under lower and (likelier) higher emissions scenarios.


Risk of desertification. Green means "humid, not vulnerable." Sorry, Utah (and most of the west), you're in the red.



It'll keep getting worse in the Red: change in drought risk projected for 2035-2065 from 20th century baseline.

Gallup - Hold on to your tender civic ego, fattened on four decades of top scores in various “livability” indices. Gallup this month released a new list with a twist: state ratings of future livability,
based on "13 metrics encompassing economic, workplace, community, and
personal choices.” Those metrics range from “economic confidence” and
pace of job creation to how nicely (or not) employers treat workers,
whether residents think their city is “getting better” or worse, whether
they have easy access to clean drinking water and “a safe place to
exercise,” whether they smoke, are obese, or saw a dentist in the past
year, and whether they “learned something new yesterday." That last
seems a rough measure of the creative and intellectual capital that’s
been much touted lately as the engine of civic success.

Gallup’s runaway winner as best place to live in
the decades to come. Minnesota, Colorado, Nebraska, North Dakota,
Virginia, and Hawaii round out the top eight. West Virginia, Kentucky,
and Mississippi come in last, in this as in so many other rankings.

It’s no surprise that North Dakota, whose unemployment rate is lower
than Mitt Romney’s taxes, tops the economic indicators. Nor that Utah,
with so many abstemious Mormons and overcompensating Outside readers,
scores lowest in smoking and high in other health indicators. But these
findings should still be taken with several grains of salt - have you been to N. Dakota n the winter, and UTAH is full of religious control and moral forced on other.

Coming from Gallup, the report is based on
self-reporting rather than data crunching or expert prognostication.
That opens the door to all sorts of cultural and regional biases, as in
the famous factoid that suicide rates were higher in Scandinavia than
anywhere else. (Turns out they’re lower there than in many other
European and Asian counties, and much lower than in the ex-Soviet Union.
The Scandinavian authorities were just more forthright about recording
suicides than those elsewhere. Even now, some rates reported by the WHO
sound suspiciously low.) Does Mormon confidence undergird Utah’s great
expectations, and does Midwestern stoicism put a better face on
prospects in the Plains states?

Second, the criteria considered are something of a grab bag, as Gallup
itself concedes: “The selection of the 13 metrics was not based on any
statistical model, but rather on their presumed relevance to future
livability.”

Most important, Gallup did not consider the factor
that will likely make the biggest difference in livability, in the
fullest sense of the word: climate.

If a place gets too hot and dry and
storm-wracked, or becomes inundated by rising seas, it won’t support the
same life and lives it does now. And dental visits and bosses’
attitudes will seem like trivial matters or fond memories. (Remember
when people had “jobs”?)

This summer has brought another foretaste of climate changes to come,
as drought and near-record heat seared the heartland and southland. In
June and July, national weather maps became exercises in schadenfreude:
While most of the country blazed in the orange and red of 90- and
100-degree-plus temperatures, two tongues of cool green reaching down
the coasts of Maine and Washington, plus a sliver in the high Rockies,
beckoned tantalizingly. An old friend in New Mexico whom I hadn’t seen
in decades showed up in Seattle, saying he’d looked at the map and
decided it was time to finally visit the Pacific Northwest. My neighbor
met a woman who’d just moved here from Texas. “Climate refugee?” he
joked, but she didn’t laugh or give him a WTF look. “Of course,” she
said.

The changing climate won’t wear easy on any part of the USA. The best projections
say we’ll get wetter winters, with more floods and less snowpack, and
hotter, drier summers. But temperatures in certain areas won’t rise nearly as much as
those almost everywhere in the country. We won’t face the chronic drought threat that looms over most of the country’s southern half, from California to Nebraska and then down to Florida. Washington & Maine's wet side won’t turn to desert, as most parts of the West that aren’t already arid may, even if present trends merely continue.

Instead, we’ll face 50 million desperate, gun-toting climate refugees
from the new Super Sunbelt, clamoring to eat our last berries and roots.
The new livability.

Barks picks for the most livable state in 2035:

Northern Minnesota, Southeast Iowa, Northern Missouri, Northern Michigan, Maine (away from the coast), Northern New Hampshire, All of Vermont, & Western Washington (away from Seattle). Washington is only good if you are already on the West Coast, don't go out of your way to move there.

If you MUST have warmer: Northern Florida on the Atlantic Coast only, Western North Carolina in the mountains near Asheville.

Here is the Barkforum MAP with sustainable in Green, Toss Up (could go either way) in Yellow and unsustainable in Red. Government control factors into sustainability and NY, NJ, MA, IL gets LOW marks in those areas!

Check out this blog with some great opinions:
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2010/12/18/207217/where-would-be-the-best-place-to-live-in-2035-2060/?mobile=nc