I freely admit my biases here. I believe I live in the greatest state in the country...Texas! The friendliness of her people, the general resiliency of the economy relative to the rest of the country, the comparatively low cost of living (some of the cheapest housing in the country, no personal state income tax, and relatively low business taxes), and the extreme diversity in people (more ethnic groups than almost any other state) and geography (how many other states have mountains, palm trees, deserts, beaches, huge pine forests, plains, swamps, lakes, and rolling hills all within their borders?) all make Texas the ideal state in which to live.
Many people apparently agree with me. According to this article from CNN/Fortune/Money Magazine, more people are moving to Texas and Wyoming than to any other states. Although I hear Wyoming is a beautiful state, I won't speak for her because I've never been there. Texas has so many great things going on, though...including all the things I mentioned above, plus world class medical facilities, arts and cultural organizations, universities, and parks. Plus, Texas gets lots more sun than the rest of the country.
Speaking of sun, let's take three states that are known for it in abundance...Texas, California, and Florida. California's economy has been terrible and her population has, at best, remained steady. Florida's economy, while still hurting, has been slightly better than California's. However, Florida actually had more people leave the state than move to her shores. Unlike California and Florida, Texas' economy has not been hurt quite as badly; furthermore, people want to come to Texas...and when they do, they often stay, as I have for nearly 29 years.
Come on and check out Texas! As we say here, it's like a whole other country. :)
