California appears to be a loser in the culture wars when it comes to interstate migration flows.
Folks who talk about leaving the Golden State – or actually depart – say they no longer feel comfortable living in a state that’s dominated by big-city progressive thinking.
So as a public service – and to show an economic lesson or two – this edition of my “Leaving California” columns will guide those people thinking about relocating to a place where the “culture” may be a better fit.
Now, nothing can be harder to quantify than a fuzzy concept encompassing somebody’s philosophies of life. So, I’m going to skip the emotions and instead use seven benchmarks to gauge the cultural divide among the states.
For departing Californians who don’t need any detailed analysis – my trusty spreadsheet says your No. 1 alternative is South Dakota. If that’s not to your liking, then head to North Dakota, Tennessee, Oklahoma or Idaho.
And to avoid a really bad fit, do not go to New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Illinois. (Note: I’m a native New Yorker!)
What’s a culture?
Think about the common criticisms of California, and then mull how other 49 states compare.
It’s not easy to quantify the schisms, but here’s what I learned …
Politics: Look, numerous folks who feel uncomfortable in California have conservative views. So, I looked at two indexes measuring strong right-leaning views from the Cook Report and the Center for Legislative Accountability.
The most conservative state, by this math, was Wyoming followed by Alabama, South Dakota, West Virginia and Idaho.
Least conservative? Massachusetts, Hawaii, Vermont, Maryland and Rhode Island.
California ranks fifth-least conservative if included in these rankings.
Freedom: Critics like to paint California as a “nanny state” for its perceived overregulation of life and commerce.
So, I eyeballed the latest “freedom” rankings from the Cato Institute to see where…
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