Majority of the nation’s ‘happiest’ cities are in California

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by whell

Not much "myth-busting" going on there, Chickie. All blue states on that list.

Meanwhile, California is just south of nice blue states Hawaii and Mass as the most expensive places to live. Unsurprisingly, the top five states that folks are moving out of are mostly nice and blue:

New York

Illinois

Hawaii

California

Louisiana

While those (mostly blue) states (and mine, Maryland) are indeed relatively expensive to live in, the upside is that once you get into the real estate market in those states you have an asset that will continue to appreciate unlike those in deep red states where nobody wants to live and work (if gainful employment even exists in those states (e.g., Mississippi, Arkansas, West Virginia)).

In other words, states that are cheap to live in are often cheap because fewer people want to spend their working years there because of shitty job prospects, lousy schools and fewer cultural amenities. After spending a life building a nest egg in these blue states with their plentiful high-paying jobs, appreciating real estate, good education and cultural amenities, retirees often want to move to places that are cheaper because they no longer need a job or good schools for their kids and they want to cash out their hefty nest eggs that they built in blue states.

Anecdotally, I know plenty of people who have moved to places like Florida due to lower taxes and warmer weather, but none of them moved there during their working years. People that move during their careers move for advancement/opportunity and that advancement is generally more available in blue states than red states (look at the average income and education levels in blue states vs red states (it ain't even close)). Go to the economically vibrant blue cities and states and you'll find that a significant percentage of people you meet come from elsewhere and came for the opportunities while in red cities and states, you find a large percentage of people are locals who don't have the experience or education to make it in a more vibrant economy are are effectively trapped in the home states.

[nailer]

Originally Posted by finnbow

While those (mostly blue) states (and mine, Maryland) are indeed relatively expensive to live in, the upside is that once you get into the real estate market in those states you have an asset that will continue to appreciate unlike those in deep red states where nobody wants to live and work (if gainful employment even exists in those states (e.g., Mississippi, Arkansas, West Virginia)).

In other words, states that are cheap to live in are often cheap because fewer people want to spend their working years there because of shitty job prospects, lousy schools and fewer cultural amenities. After spending a life building a nest egg in these blue states with their plentiful high-paying jobs, appreciating real estate, good education and cultural amenities, retirees often want to move to places that are cheaper because they no longer need a job or good schools for their kids and they want to cash out their hefty nest eggs that they built in blue states.

Anecdotally, I know plenty of people who have moved to places like Florida due to lower taxes and warmer weather, but none of them moved there during their working years. People that move during their careers move for advancement/opportunity and that advancement is generally more available in blue states than red states (look at the average income and education levels in blue states vs red states (it ain't even close)). Go to the economically vibrant blue cities and states and you'll find that a significant percentage of people you meet come from elsewhere and came for the opportunities while in red cities and states, you find a large percentage of people are locals who don't have the experience or education to make it in a more vibrant economy are are effectively trapped in the home states.

Although the greatest red state of them all, Texas, puts this analysis right on its head.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by nailer

Although the greatest red state of them all, Texas, puts this analysis right on its head.

Yes and no. The state is indeed red. The economic engines and cultural centers are all Democratic cities/counties.

[nailer]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Yes and no. The state is indeed red. The economic engines and cultural centers are all Democratic cities/counties.

I do so enjoy pointing out your self serving misstatements and then watch you try to spin out of them.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by nailer

I do so enjoy pointing out your self serving misstatements and then watch you try to spin out of them.

It's hardly a misstatement to point out the most expensive areas of the country also happen to be the economic engines, educational leaders and cultural centers of the country (and also predominately Democratic).

Leave it to someone who lives in what many of its residents comically believe to be the center of the universe, the DFW metroplex, to challenge that notion.

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by whell

Not much "myth-busting" going on there, Chickie. All blue states on that list.

Meanwhile, California is just south of nice blue states Hawaii and Mass as the most expensive places to live. Unsurprisingly, the top five states that folks are moving out of are mostly nice and blue:

New York

Illinois

Hawaii

California

Louisiana

Nice work. Who fuckin' cares.

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by nailer

Although the greatest red state of them all, Texas...

Not red forever. Cruz only beat O'Rourke by 3 percentage points in 2018. Yeah...O'Rourke lost to Abbott by 11 points in 2022, but that's only because even Texas Democrats were already tired of proven loser Beto O'Rourke. Get some really top quality candidates for statewide elections and we shall see just how red Texas still is...if it's actually red at all.

Texas was the third-narrowest of Trump's 2020 state victories, behind only Florida and North Carolina, and the ninth-closest state overall. The election was also the first time Texas placed in the top ten closest states since 1968, and the first time since 1976 that Texas voted to the left of Ohio.

[Chicks]

Think Texas has a cheaper tax burden than California? Think again.
https://fortune.com/2023/03/23/state...ax-burden/amp/

Oh, those pesky facts! Always getting in the way of a good argument. : rolleyes:

[nailer]

Originally Posted by finnbow

It's hardly a misstatement to point out the most expensive areas of the country also happen to be the economic engines, educational leaders and cultural centers of the country (and also predominately Democratic).

Leave it to someone who lives in what many of its residents comically believe to be the center of the universe, the DFW metroplex, to challenge that notion.

To the best of my knowledge there is no center of the universe.

In this country it's Manhattan, DC and LA residents who think what you are misclaiming about me. You live in the DC area IIRC.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by nailer

To the best of my knowledge there is no center of the universe.

In this country it's Manhattan, DC and LA residents who think what you are misclaiming about me. You live in the DC area IIRC.

The distant exurbs, far outside the beltway. I bowhunt behind the house, my gun club is 10 minutes away as are over 100 miles of hiking and mountain-biking trails. For whatever reason, my many trips to the DFW Metroplex always left me with the impression that folks there far overestimated the region's importance/influence outside its borders. NY, LA and DC have some justification for feeling that way. DFW doesn't. Maybe it's just my animus towards the Cowboys (though I despise Dan Snyder's team every bit as much, if not more).