Californians who are leaving the state take immense pride in their new home state. This is evident from the spirited comments I receive on my “Leaving California” columns, where I help individuals decide which state would be the best for their relocation. However, it’s important to acknowledge that no ranking system is completely unbiased. With 49 other states to compare, some will naturally score higher than others. So, in this edition of “Leaving California,” I present a simple scale that derives the average ranking from nine other “best state” scorecards. These rankings are based on various economic and demographic factors, each with its own set of considerations.
If we assume that these scorecards are valuable tools for home hunting, the average ranking suggests that New Hampshire is the top spot for Californians to relocate. It is followed by Vermont, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Minnesota. Interestingly, Florida, the state often compared to California, ranked 14th best.
On the other hand, California’s average grade on these scorecards was 37th, which is below average. This means there are 13 states with worse scores, making them potential places to avoid for an interstate move if you’re looking for an upgrade from the Golden State.
According to the average ranking, Louisiana was deemed the “worst” state for relocation. It was followed by Mississippi, Arkansas, New Mexico, Alabama, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Alaska, West Virginia, and South Carolina to complete the bottom 10.
Surprisingly, three states came just behind California in the rankings: Arizona, Nevada, and Texas. These states are popular choices among Californians who are looking to leave.
Details
Here’s a breakdown of whose rankings were included in this analysis:
Wallethub: Ranked Massachusetts as the best state and New Mexico as the worst. California was ranked 24th.
US News and World Report: Ranked Utah as the best state and Louisiana as the worst. California was ranked 33rd.
24/7 Wall Street: Ranked New Hampshire as the best state and Louisiana as the worst. California was ranked 29th.
Scholaroo: Ranked Wyoming as the best state and Louisiana as the worst. California was ranked 48th.
Moneyrates: Ranked Washington as the best state and Hawaii as the worst. California was ranked 48th.
Top Agency: Ranked Washington as the best state and Louisiana as the worst. California was ranked 24th.
Additionally, three broad livability rankings from niche scorecards were included:
CNBC: Ranked Vermont as the best state and Texas as the worst. California was ranked 19th in the “life, health, and inclusiveness” category.
Bankrate: Ranked Hawaii as the best state and Indiana as the worst. California was ranked 15th in the “well-being” category for retirement-relocation.
Motley Fool: Ranked New York as the best state and Arizona as the worst. California was ranked 48th in the “quality of life” category for retirement-focused rankings.
Bottom Line
It’s important to remember that any scorecard or ranking, even a compilation of rankings, is a nuanced blend of statistics and analytical interpretations. Therefore, it’s essential to approach these grades with a degree of humility.
Even among these nine rankings, there is a range of opinions. For example, there were eight different states named as the “best,” with Washington claiming the top spot twice. Similarly, while Louisiana was deemed the “worst” four times, it also received the sixth-best score.
To assess the consistency or lack thereof among the nine rankings, a statistical measure known as the “standard deviation” was used. This measure determines the relative uniformity among the states. New Hampshire, which ranked first overall, also had the smallest variation in its scores, with its worst rank being 20th. Iowa ranked second for consistency, despite being ninth overall.
However, certain states received mixed opinions. Hawaii, for instance, had the most variance in its grades, ranging from a composite rank of 28th best to both a “best state” and a “worst state” among the scorecards. Utah, ranked 21st, also had conflicting grades. Other states with low consistency scores include Oklahoma, Washington, and Idaho.
All in all, there is a significant amount of debate surrounding the livability of these states, including California. As per the rankings, California has the 35th-lowest consistency in its rankings.
Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at [email protected]
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