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Americans' Exalted States

August 8 2003

New York has moved rapidly up the list of Americans' favourite states to no.5, according to the Harris Poll - but it may struggle to climb higher as the top 4 are unchanged from last year with California first and then Florida, Hawaii and Colorado.

For the seventh year running, respondents were asked which state they would most like to live in apart from their own - a full table of the top 15 since 1997 is shown below.

California, despite financial trouble and the likelihood of a recall election for its governor, prevents Florida from regaining its top spot - while Hawaii retains its third place notwithstanding a decline in tourism and a high cost-of-living (it's surely gained from the Lilo and Stitch effect? - Ed. ).

Apart from New York, the main winners are:

  • Texas, up from #14 to #7
  • Virginia, up from #12 to #9
  • Nevada, which didn't make the top 15 last year but is now 12th
States which have lost ground this year include:
  • North Carolina, down from #5 last year to #8 this year
  • Montana, down from #11 to #13
  • Alaska, down from #12 to #15
  • Tennessee, which was #7 last year, is not in the top 15 this year.
Most of the top 15 states are in the South (4), the West (3) or the Southwest (3). New York is the only state in the Northeast on the list and there are none at all from the Mid-Atlantic or Midwestern states.

The Harris Poll was conducted online between July 14 and 20 with 2,215 adults nationwide.

'If you could live in any state in the country, except the state you live in now, what state would you choose to live in?'


Rank
Now
RANK IN
1997199819992000200120022003
1California3325211
2Florida1111122
3Hawaii7=7=97333
4Colorado4232444
5New York*=15*=10885
6Arizona2564666
7Texas10=75=1012147
8NCarolina6443758
9Virginia1411=9=8=14=129
10Washington812865910
11Oregon99151491011
12Nevada******12
13Montana**7=10111113
14Georgia111412=8131514
15Alaska1515=913=14=1215


= Tied for that position
* Not in top 15.


All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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