Definitive Ranking of the States Part 3: The Top 10

[@GeographyKing]

Hey everyone. The end of this video includes screenshots of the spreadsheets I used for the countdown. They're virtually impossible to read unless really zoomed in on, but I wanted to at least show the raw data being used. If you want detail on why I used which categories and the general methodology, do check out the intro video to this series.

[@LeeGeorge08]

Just curious, is Philadelphia your favorite city? I know everyone's jealous of Philly.

[@edgarconradgonzalezhartman2882]

Why does the spreadsheet show MA at #2 rather than PA?

[@UsefulFarmer349]

Which columns are going over cities? Trying to figure out where Spokane ranks in the 2nd largest city ranking lol.

[@JusNoBS420]

Thank you for putting together the DEFINITIVE state ranking video series of all time ever!!

[@JusNoBS420]

@@edgarconradgonzalezhartman2882conspiracy theory much??

[@finegoldstones]

Real ones noticed that he wore an orange shirt for the bad states, yellow for the alright states, and blue/greenish for the good states, all under the same jacket. Cool little easter egg. I love apparel related mood setting lol

[@Rancid-Jane]

Doh! I never noticed that.

[@paulsholar9356]

Maybe he changed clothes per normal on different days.

[@pghrpg4065]

As a lifelong Pittsburgher, I was surprised not to see Pennsylvania in the 11-30 video. I certainly didn't expect to be number 2. The whole series was enjoyable.

[@mournblade1066]

Altoona native here. Pittsburgh's only REAL problem is its roadways. I'm there two or three times a year, and every time I'm white-knuckle driving while trying to decide which freaking lane I need to be in to get to the correct exit. Aside from that, it's an amazing city.

[@jeverrett9757]

Thanks Geography King. I live in Minnesota near Duluth. I ❤ Minnesota. My bachelors degree is in geography, so I enjoy this channel. Keep up the good work.

[@cur244]

That Duluth area is awesome! I'd live there if not for the winters. Might be the nicest small city with a ton of outdoor recreation.

[@troy02627]

I do have to point out as a New Hampshire resident, as I'm sure people in other states with no income or sales tax know, that its a double edged sword. The low taxes mean we have essentially no funding for many services. New Hampshire is currently arguing as case in the Supreme Court because it was determined that the per capita education spending is so low its actually unconstitutional. At $3,500 per head, it was determined that it needs to be at $7,500 per head to be constitutional. As well as this, we have the lowest funding in the country for both higher education and public transit with just $200,000 a year for all public transit in the state. I know these weren't part of your ranking but I would consider these metrics to be really important. The way NH is structured its a bit of a gated community, there's no state support so you have to be individually wealthy to be able to move here, and because of the lack of jobs young adults are rapidly leaving the state while retirees are moving here.

[@b14m23]

I hear a lot of those so called low tax states make it up in high property taxes that fluctuate wildly year to year.

[@omarmohamed51]

And you have 2.5% property tax

[@floydblandston108]

We don't call it 'New Dumpster' for nothing.

[@b14m23]

@@floydblandston108 For the rest of the world no need to say that. Everything we see New Hampshire is a great place. Maybe except the winters. 😊

[@maxpowr90]

@@b14m23 It's even worse. So many people in NH live on the MA border. If you live in NH but work in MA, you're still paying state income tax.

[@Max-bi8fn]

I moved from miami Florida to Milwaukee Wisconsin and my quality of life dramatically improved

[@nickbob2003]

Glad to hear it, as someone born and raised about 45 minutes from Milwaukee in a more rural area I’m sad to hear that Milwaukee was an improvement from your last residence lol. Though as much as I love to hate Milwaukee it’s a decent city overall but I would recommend Waukesha if you are looking for a smaller city still close to everything. I live around 20 minutes from Waukesha so I go there fairly frequently

[@isirlaughsalot2675]

​​@@nickbob2003haha same. I grew up 40 minutes outside of Milwaukee in a small town and everyone loved to hate on Milwaukee. I am very impressed with its improvements though and hope it continues to improve.

[@alaiakesari4998]

I'm about to move from California to Wisconsin, Chippewa Falls area. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to this change (housing cost alone should have given Cali a lower ranking lol)!

[@ChristopherFodor]

​@@isirlaughsalot2675It isn't really improving. Just some new development. The crime and city corruption is embarrassing. A quarter the city are a garbage underclass

[@calvinhenderson6280]

@@alaiakesari4998 you’ll love Chippewa. I know the area well. Lake Wissota, Chippewa County Forest, Heidi Center for the Arts

[@utnapishtim23]

As a Wisconsinite Madisonian, I was pleasantly surprised to see my state ranked in the top 5. I thought for sure we'd make top 20 but not the top 10. Madison at 2nd for state capitols, was the cherry on top. I love it here! Wisconsin proud!

[@nickbob2003]

I live near Waukesha and I was surprised that we were top 10 and even top 5. I thought the exact same way as you that it would be top 20. In my heart it’s number 1 but Wisconsin isn’t exactly the most culturally relevant state so I thought it would be rank above average but still mid. Just glad we beat Illinois and Michigan lol, I can live with Minnesota being ranked 1

[@samwarfelphotos]

Likewise! I think it’s the best state capital not gonna lie. I kinda can’t deny Minnesota beats us. I think Michigan belongs up here with its two sister states, but then I often forget Detroit is in Michigan, I just absolutely adore the Yoop. Personally, downranking for winter climbing is stupid, I look for places to live as the colder and snowier the better. So WI MN and MI (upper) dominant a lot of rankings for me

[@michaelfaeth3706]

Love the respect you give Minnesota. The taxes are high and the winters are cold, but I love living here.

[@oliversoderberg299]

not this winter haha

[@crystalreidinger9969]

The winters keep the weak out of the state.

[@ryanhie2829]

I've travelled from Southern Ontario, Canada to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania a few times around mid-October. I remember Pennsylvania being such a beautiful state, especially that time of year with the leaves changing. One year we stopped in Hershey on our way home and did a tour of the chocolate factory. The town had a monorail and the shades on the streetlamps were shaped like Hershey kisses.

[@BDUBZ49]

Minnesota #1? I can live with that. Great series of videos Kyle. We appreciate all your hard work, and all the thought put into them.

[@andychase7693]

I grew up in #5 Wisconsin, but I've lived in #1 Minnesota for 40 years. Except for the winters, I love it here! Most of my family still lives in WI, so thankfully they're nearby and I get to see them regularly. I like that you had "Countdown to Ecstasy" as your album for this one. Steely Dan is awesome! (Not too shabby a music scene here in MN either!)

[@ejb7969]

True about the music. MN has Prince, a world-class symphony orchestra, and that fabulous wall with a page of Ravel's piano music painted on it.

[@calebrosson]

You did a bang-up job on this one. Happy to see Colorado at #4. Sometimes we have mild winters, a fact many people don't know. Also, the dryness of the air makes super cold days feel warmer than they actually are. Thanks!

[@stewartpierce2596]

Colorado is truly spectacular.

[@rightwerk]

As a northeasterner, I’m jealous of the sunshine in Colorado during the winter time. It gets so gloomy for weeks at a time up here

[@Bruvva_Wu]

The dryness makes a massive difference! I live in the Yukon at around 2200 feet ASL, on the lee side of the Coast and Saint Elias mountain ranges. -40f (-40c) is more bearable than 15f (-10c) in Vancouver BC or Seattle WA. That damp cold cuts right to the bones!

[@eazydp]

Just got back to MInneapolis from Colorado snowboarding. Agreed, I never felt cold. Altitude was rough though!

[@20thcenturytunes]

I lived in MN for 5 years, loved it, highly recommend

[@diannhall7564]

Thank you, Kyle. Very interesting. I spent 35 years in Wisconsin. The schools were wonderful for my children.

[@CowWithBeef]

PA keeps overperforming on citynerd's channel too. The main advantage PA has is that its cities were built before cars so they're designed for people.

[@curtvona4891]

I live in PA and I love your name.

[@b14m23]

Keep hearing great things about Pittsburg. Never been up that way.

[@LeeGeorge08]

Philadelphia is God's gift to the US.

[@jajabsiakan]

@@b14m23 I live abt 2 hours from pittsburgh in the cleveland area and Ive been there 4-5 times. Its a cool place, Definately some rough areas in it, but almost all big cities do. Very beautiful cityscape with all the hills and bridges and its pretty lively with mostly good, chill and down to earth people even though their accents are a little annoying if you ask me😂

[@liamhodgson]

Come to pa, specifically burgh, and enjoy!

[@KomarBrolan]

As a long time Minnesotan I hardily endorse this message.

[@soggywaffles7069]

You simply are not Minnesotan enough

[@rachel_sj]

This win feels more exhilarating than the Vikings winning a Superbowl!! 😂

[@diodelvino3048]

enjoy it while it lasts, once thingss get more desperate and people realize what they can get for cheaper, and just deal with the cold then theyll start moving there in big waves

[@jcorkable]

As a long time Minnesotan, I can hardily even spell…

[@phoenixofthewolf]

We moved from Kansas to Minnesota a few years back. I miss a warmer climate, mildish winters, and less bugs. Seriously... Mosquitos and flies are stupid bad up here. Stupid. But I love the outdoor culture and how there is always something to do withing a half days drive in any direction. I wouldn't say it's the best, but we lucked out when we had the opportunity to move.

[@JoeBergy122]

Great videos, super nerdy, loving the channel. Happy to see my home state of Massachusetts make it all the way up to #3! Keep up the good work Kyle!

[@LoggyD]

Proud MN resident here. While I oftentimes fantasize about living in other parts of the country, this video helps me realize why I haven’t ever done so. We really do have it pretty good up here.

[@heavenlylight317]

I moved to Nebraska for a few years, missed Minnesota too much and moved back

[@trifecta0074]

Amen

[@MikeP2055]

Now I'll have the song "Say Shh" by Atmosphere stuck in my head for the rest of the day, haha. Minnesota's one of the few states I've never visited but I hope to get there this summer.

[@cosmicnomad8575]

I always joke about leaving and actually did for a little bit (to North Carolina), but I love this state and it’s always home to me.

[@caleanderson5164]

I don't think southern people realize that a lot of people here in Minnesota get excited when we see snow because of skiing and other winter activities. It's nice to have different outdoor things to do during different seasons.

[@elizabethorsillo7187]

It was an honor to be ranked #2.

[@Fireball_]

As a Pennsylvanian I also agree

[@orangelab6846]

Cool to include the kinzua bridge in the pics.

[@stephenhiker9807]

True underdog story.

[@athom716]

you Buckeye neighbor here to the west was just happy (and not unsurprised) to be in the top half

[@Madflip]

I don’t even know how we are in the top 5

[@estraume]

I grew up in Norway and studied in Minneapolis for 3 years 15 years ago. Minnesota is my US home state!

[@bikeyclown4669]

Great video. Thanks for sharing. I drove through and spent the night in Minnesota a couple of years ago. My experience was brief and limited, but I was impressed with what I saw. I would give living there a shot.

[@DanHegstad]

Greetings from Minnesota. This is a great place to live!

[@hugequiz]

Love your #1 pick! ❤

[@Rthomp02]

Ss a local Minnesotan here, I’d have to say that I really enjoyed this series. I knew Minnesota would be in the top three but wasn’t sure who the others would be. The TAXES here are CRAZY… but I do absolutely love living here and after spending time road tripping I have yet to find a city that trumps where I live in Duluth. The winters can be excruciating if your not custom to it, but yesterday got up to 50 degrees in February so i don’t know man. Love the content and as always SKOL!

[@Greenlandshark77]

The taxes are becoming insane. They weren’t always insane, thanks DFL.

[@brianmiller1077]

Like the Nordic countries many of us MN are descended from, taxes are high but most people get something for it. One other brag - MN is usually tops in voting percentage in elections.

[@Rthomp02]

@@brianmiller1077 you’re not wrong, we have the strangle hold on Norwegian, Swedish, and Finnish Americans in the us! I’m 3/4 Norwegian so very stereotypical

[@clintonrice525]

I noticed three different categories of taxes being the state’s bottom 10 representation (along with the winters), but as long as the people feel like they’re getting good services for those taxes, it all works out! Presumably the reason the cities excel is because they have the money to maintain their infrastructure.

[@Rthomp02]

@@clintonrice525 yeah… we hate paying them, BUT we do have so many resources and opportunities here that it’s kinda balanced. Good infrastructure and we’re treated pretty well.

[@Madflip]

I live in PA. My top 5 states to live in would be Massachusetts, Maryland, Colorado, Vermont, and Washington

[@natekeller2121]

Lifelong Minnesotan here! Happy and appreciative we are ranked as #1 on such a great and knowledgeable KZbinr!

[@david29k11]

Skol!

[@classiclife7204]

My biases are confirmed. Thanks King, for all your hard work. This was fun!

[@carringtonpageiv6210]

I went to Pittsburgh via a LOOOONG Rt 80 Drive and it was beautiful! With NYC as the main city I’ve been near, it was amazing seeing how much less congested Pittsburgh was. The cost of living also seemed reasonable. Definitely considering moving there

[@tahlulabang]

I appreciate the amount of work you put into this series and as someone from Minnesota I agree, wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

[@treyshaffer]

10. Virginia 9. Utah 8. Washington 7. California 6. New Hampshire 5. Wisconsin 4. Colorado 3. Massachusetts 2. Pennsylvania 1. Minnesota Shocked that Pennsylvania is ranked so high!

[@CindySanders-v9l]

I’m shocked so many cold winter states.

[@darealberrygarcia]

Thanks

[@Greenlandshark77]

@@CindySanders-v9lwhy?

[@bryanwojcik1386]

Wisconsin #1 🧀😀

[@mrb152]

Wouldn't want to live in any of those except NH and VA. Massachusetts sucks in that it's basically California with bad weather and worse public transit.

[@timdowney6721]

Well-done series, Kyle. I can quibble around the edges a bit, but you put together a good ranking based on rational criteria.

[@manlips]

Minnesota admittedly has high taxes. However, it's those taxes that allow Minnesota to excel in so many other categories. " You get what you pay for."

[@barrydickins3476]

Yeah I heard they have great cops. Especially Minneapolis

[@pinchofseasalt]

@@barrydickins3476 At least MN is making changes. Unlike most major cities.

[@onanthebarbarian9883]

@@barrydickins3476 >>Yeah I heard they have great cops. Especially Minneapolis

[@tylerkriesel8590]

That doesn’t seem to be working out for California

[@manlips]

California was rated #7 best state in this ranking. So, apparently, it's working out just fine. @@tylerkriesel8590

[@Ellie_fi]

Loved the series! You should make a tool where people can weight these categories based on personal preferences and find their ideal place to live.

[@richardeaton8237]

I knew Minnesota and Wisconsin would be in the top 5, but didn't expect Minnesota to be number 1!

[@henryrobertson6778]

Great vid as always, the Steely Dan album was very appropriate.

[@AbbeyRoadkill1]

Cool to see my home state of Washington ranks so high. The Seattle-Tacoma area has big city problems it didn't have 40 years ago, But overall, I'd still say it's a better state to live in than most others.

[@salahuddinnoorzad]

Dear friend, Could you please tell which part of Seattle or Eastside is safe, affordable home rent beside public transportation? I am planning to move to WA. THANKS

[@sketchypeoplepdx]

Our fam cabin is in MN and that state is great. Love visiting. Love all the data you crunched! Thanks for your efforts in making such rich and fun content!

[@jefff7287]

I enjoyed your ranking series. Though, at 10:53 in this video you have MA as second overall yet presented it as #3. Just making sure my home state is properly represented!

[@GeographyKing]

Sorry about that. I was testing just how much placing Pittsburgh at #1 for secondary cities changed things and was looking at how low I would have to rank it before MA would be higher. It was something like ranking Pittsburgh at 34 before MA would pass it. I was concerned about one category tipping scales too far, but I think it was set up to where it would have to be a dramatic difference in any one category to make a minor change in the overall rankings.

[@jefff7287]

@phyKing No worries at all. Fun video series. Yeah, Worcester is OK but Pittsburgh likely better. Now, if all of New England joined forces to be as large geographically as PA, we'd make a hell of a state :)

[@ulfthegoon]

Makes me feel glad I moved back to the Burgh.’ You definitely could’ve included more categories in your methodology: The ones that come to mind are homelessness, religious tolerance, diversity, human rights, entertainment, etc. Look forward to the video where you better explain. Keep on rollin’!

[@ryanrobinson5638]

Minnesota is not so quietly beckoning to a map-centric royal....... might be time to consider a move, after march madness and this ;-)

[@ryanrobinson5638]

Also, our Kryptonite? Sports Success 😢

[@cjmassino]

Great lakes region might be the best option for climate change, and I prefer Canadian air over Gulf/Atlantic air for storms.

[@PHL1213]

Kyle, you are awesome 👍 I love all your content and thank you for all your time and research that you share with us.

[@Lallapalalable]

Second place is respectable, even if one of the categories that brought it down was "people don't know how awesome Pennsylvania is and therefore aren't moving here fast enough"

[@hunteroneill7300]

And so many native pennsylvania's don't realize how nice it is here , and thank the grass is greener elsewhere.

[@frazzleface753]

Be grateful for your #2. Literally no one would have put PA up there at the beginning lol, probably not even you?!

[@steveshay5364]

Having lived in multiple high growth areas I consider the low growth to be a plus. Right now there are 10 homes being built behind the house where an open field and a pond once were, and multiple older homes nearby are being torn down so two new ones can be squeezed on the lot, and every time that happens they clearcut all the trees. I've lived in this house for 5 years and the construction hasn't stopped.

[@timdowney6721]

@@steveshay5364 Growth is definitely a drain on most communities. Especially if the growth is car-centric, suburban sprawl.

[@rdspam]

If that keeps us out of the top spot, let’s stay at #2.

[@KurtDepner]

Great series, Kyle!

[@dmike3507]

My personal favorite I have to say is California. Never lived there, but I love places with mountains, forests, ocean, and warm sunny climates, and California has it all. Has been an economic powerhouse over the past several years. Will be the first place in the Americas to have high-speed rail. Lots of problems & natural disasters for sure, but also lots to look forward to in the future.

[@stephenhall5694]

Depends on how you define “high-speed rail.” Brightline is up and running (fast) Between Orlando and Miami.

[@tylerkriesel8590]

Texas central will more then likely be done before chsr

[@stevena3871]

California is a fantastic place to visit but terrible to live in. Unless you have an obscene amount of money.

[@nicolelala10]

Kyle, best videos so far. All your others are interesting, but this series was meaningful. My wife and I are looking to retire soon, and I actually found myself absorbing some of your information here. Incredibly surprised at MN being #1, although I love hockey, so I get it. Thanks for all the food-for-thought.

[@ItsEverythingElse]

I had a feeling PA was going to be in the top 10 but #2? That's amazing.

[@hondrta]

Very proud.

[@IAmTheEg7]

Hello Geography King. Your videos in this series as well as on your channel in general have inspired me to start thinking about making videos like these myself. I've managed to put together a bunch of statistics for the 50 state capital cities to see where they would rank. I was able to find 14 categories in which all 50 cities have data from the last few years, and I was very surprised with the results. Hopefully within the next few weeks I can put it up and you'll get a chance to see if my findings are accurate.

[@johnalden5821]

Clearly, Pennsylvania benefitted from not having the quality of roads factored into the ranking. Either that or auto repair was one of the categories.

[@al_7387]

Great ranking, really interesting & really appreciate all the work you put in to make this definitive ranking, Kyle! 😊

[@EvanKaufman-m2r]

Great series. California state profile would be sick

[@NRF787]

Great video Kyle! This was a fun series. Maybe this can be something you do every year with updated data and possibly some additional or adjusted categories.

[@davidlandry3487]

I enjoyed watching your states ranking videos. My main thought is that many of these states can be divided into regions, with each region being dramatically different. For example, I live in Franklin County, Massachusetts, which is vastly different than the Boston metro and likely doesn't reflect many of the stats of the state as a whole. You could say the same about, for example, the Tri-Cities region of Washington vs. the Seattle metro, and I'm sure most states have similar situations. I would be very interested in a similar ranking, but at the county/parish level instead of the state level. I've always maintained that counties are typically best at defining cultural & environmental boundaries. I'd be curious if there are stats/databases that contain info at the county level.

[@ChadWright-ip8vm]

Incredible job Kyle, this set of rankings obviously took a lot of thought, planning and effort. It is difficult (or impossible) to quantify feelings, and so much of what each of us thinks about the various states is based upon just that, feelings. I'm old enough, and peripatetic enough, to have lived in several states in my life, stretched across the country. I was born in a Top 5 state, and have lived in two other Top 10 states, including one for more than 25 years. I currently live in a state in the mid-teens of this ranking (aka Texas), and appreciate its offerings. I have also lived in two states in the mid-forties of this ranking, and the state for which I have the greatest affection of all, and feel quite a great pull, is the worse-ranking of those two. I would happily move back to that state, if the opportunity were to arise, and would greatly appreciate living there.

[@pyrho1]

I've lived in Hawaii, Virginia, and California in my life. Been pretty lucky

[@BK_718]

Which ones are your favorite by order ?

[@jimbellomo]

YEAH! Great work Geo King. Glad to live in a top ten state out here in Washington. Loved the series. Was most surprised at Oregon and Pennsylvania.

[@MatthewGraham027]

This was a good list and way of going about it. Personally I would have thought the top 3 would be Minnesota, Massachusetts & Utah. The Pennsylvania one was definitely a surprise. Minnesota has been good for quite a long time, if it wasn't for the weather the place would be booming.

[@douglasmoen2658]

Actually, Minnesota has been booming over the past two decades. It has just been booming pretty quietly because it's.such an under the radar state.

[@rs299]

When the categories were introduced at the beginning of the series, I was quite certain Colorado would end up #1. I was surprised it didn't, but Minnesota is also worthy of a win. I particularly valued the analysis at the end. Thank you!

[@edwardhamm5535]

Florida worst weather. Too hot! We escaped in 1986 to Virginia, no regrets.

[@robertwillhite9077]

I grew up in Pittsburgh and currently live outside of York. Pennsylvania has a lot to offer to many people. In between these two cities, I lived in Virginia for a few years out of college. And on top of it, Colorado is one of my favorits states to visit. I guess you could say that I agree with your top 10 conclusions.

[@ajh057]

Was there really any doubt that Minnesota would be number 1?

[@RobiTheophilus]

This series was so awesome 😊😊 Thank you!!

[@danielszekeres8003]

Maybe high taxes aren't a negative when you're voting for democrats who spend them well

[@Avg_Janitor]

Ive been eye balling Minnesota hard for the last couple of days been on zillow, airbnb, and google maps like crazy

[@Taumpy]

Hell yeah top 3! I can't really get behind PA being ahead of us (MA), but I tip my cap to MN, fine people, fine state. And we'd be number 1 for sure if it wasn't so damn expensive here. haha

[@dogrsqr]

"Countdown to Ecstasy" when counting down the top 10 States? Well played, Kyle. Well played!

[@paulsholar9356]

"Razor Boy" is one of the great Steely Dan deep tracks.

[@kyle1235]

All three state I have lived in were in the top #10 (CA, CO, and VA). I guess I know how to pick em!

[@Skittles1987]

Great list! Pretty much agree with the rankings, I remeber watching the entirety of march madness back in 2021, including the livestreams.

[@BlakeMcCringleberry]

Washington is terrible. It rains all the time and you'll hate it. Definitely don't come.

[@paulsholar9356]

Coastal Washington is like a wetter and slightly warmer Maine, and with higher prices. Both give me the heeby-jeebies.

[@JVR2019]

Nice work on these series.

[@jaggedjottings]

The only states I've ever lived in are California, Washington and Utah, which I loved, and Pennsylvania...which I hated. Go figure.

[@bryntnjal9446]

Hi, Kyle. Weather such as heat, cold, humidity (with its insects), rain totals, etc. can adversely affect a person's quality of life. I'm glad you take that into account...

[@GriffinK10]

California, Colorado, Utah, and Washington not being the top 4 is a hideous sight tbh

[@deirdre108]

As a WA resident I agree.

[@b14m23]

Love California but I figured expense and taxes would doom us but Cali geography is number one.

[@michaelmiddleton3311]

California native living in WA and I wholly agree.

[@deirdre108]

@@michaelmiddleton3311 The West is the Best.

[@MikeP2055]

​@@deirdre108I've traveled throughout most of the country over the years and always find things to love about wherever I happen to be, but I'm a Rocky Mountain* Boy through and through. (* -- Cascades, Sierra Nevadas, etc. are also acceptable.) The West is indeed the Best!

[@JosephBishop-g3t]

Very enjoyable series. Thank you!!

[@vicepresidentmikepence889]

No surprise, Nine of the top ten are Democrat states. Democrat states are always the best, best Healthcare, most educated people, highest property values

[@chrispery9002]

Not any more.

[@kacperdadela8538]

And yet they have lowest population growth. If they are so great, why are people moving out from them?

[@cameronlopez5313]

I didn't want to bring up politics but yeah, blue states tend to pass the most progressive legislature. It shows that investment in your state REALLY does pay off.

[@interstellarsurfer]

Keep dreaming, buddy.

[@bagaboiebailey]

💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

[@johnchedsey1306]

I lived in both Colorado and Washington for significant portions of my life. I was a little surprised to hear that property & violent crime rates were rather high in both. I had a couple car windows broken in Denver over 20 years ago, but beyond that, no crime has impacted my life. Just goes to show that although people fear crime, it's not as common as some news outlets might make you believe. Minnesota would rank low on my personal bias against cold winters! I would rather endure 110F here in Arizona than -10F any day.

[@rightwerk]

I was very surprised to hear Colorado ranked so low for violent crime especially.

[@gordonbrubaker9497]

I live in Pennsylvania and I think it's pretty cool but I was still surprised to see the second place ranking.

[@joelparcell7566]

That jacket is SUPAFLYY!!! That collar might be able to fly you to all ten of these states by the weekend! Howdy Kyle.. 👋🏼 Murfreesboro here.. been watching you for over 4 years and have slept in 30 states, traveling by highway.

[@SparkyClint]

Hey Kyle, Thanks for doing this one. Really enjoyed it. If you would I’d really like to hear a version of this list. “ Safest Cities for lower and middle income families to survive climate change.” I have a wager, but I’ll hold it unless asked. Keep up the good work!

[@dj-kq4fz]

Huh! Great list Kyle, thanks for all the work you put in to this. I was lucky, I guess, to grow up in two of the top 6, and live in one of the top 4, and spend a lot of time in one of the top 3. Never scored this high on anything in my life.

[@joaovitorcoelho4786]

I’ve adopted Minnesota as my home 8.5 years ago. Adapting to winters here was hard, but moving to MN was one of the best choices I’ve made. I believe in Minnesota supremacy ❤

[@douglasmoen2658]

My family also transplanted to Minnesota from PA. My two favorite states....#1 and #2. Seriously, Minnesota is the most under-the-radar state in the country with the best quality of life bar none.

[@jackf1557]

hey I'm from cook county MN, love the bucks shirt bro. Respect. I didnt even know they sold shirts there.

[@jimgreen5788]

Kyle, this has been a very engaging series, and seeing 2 of my neighbors in the top 10 (MN & WI: I'm in IL) was gratifying. However, I have to say that I'm surprised to see that 2 of the categories were winter and summer climate, which are very subjective. For example, both MN and WI have ski hills/mtns. all over the state, and snowmobiling, snowshoeing, etc., are popular as well. Then, you add in the results of a video done recently about the coldest cities in the country, and in MN, St. Cloud, Duluth, International Falls, and Sault Ste. Marie were on the list. Hmm!

[@onelongwordable]

0:42 what's going on with Oklahoma? Looks like it says 'Indian...' something but I've never seen territories marked like that

[@steviechubbs5238]

Those are the old Indian territories that the tribes were deported to after the Trail of Tears. They wanted to form their own state (Sequoia), but we're denied and merged with the eastern territories to make Oklahoma

[@StevenDietrich-k2w]

As someone who lived in Minnesota for 25 years, but no longer do, I can say that placing MN number 1 is fair. Kyle, if you need to know MN's Kryptonite, it is winter weather. It can be brutally cold from early December to the end of February. Northwest winds sweep off the Canadian prairies and torment the population. Other than winter weather, the annual mosquito hordes, and moderately high taxes, the rest is all pretty positive. You were also correct that Rochester, St. Paul, and Duluth are all nice cities to live in. If you want to escape the liberal state government, and high state taxes, look across the border at some of the cities in eastern South Dakota. Bonus points for having that Steely Dan album cover displayed.

[@PastelSkies-n3v]

Steely Dan's 'Countdown to Ecstasy' on a countdown of the top 10 states, how appropriate! 😊 Can't be too surprised by #1, somewhat surprised by #2 but a pleasant surprise for sure! I'll finish this comment and list by saying, THANK YOU for including the spreadsheets at the end! I already had to zoom on the census data video at times so NBD, and I go by homicide rates rather than other crime reports since those are harder for law enforcement to conceal... every other criteria you used is good, though. But yes, this is looking at the states as a whole, not just single cities or parks. It's the sums of all their parts.

[@BellaBellaElla]

As we say in the Midwest 'There is no bad weather. Only bad clothing.' And 'cold keeps out the category

[@jamiesaylor8824]

L😮be this countdown, Kyle! Very informative!

[@Chereese97]

I enjoyed this series! Thank you! My birth state (MA) and home state (CA) both in the top ten 👍😁

[@minnybiker4505]

Proud Minnesotan here... Have also lived in Massachusetts and Colorado, and spend a fair amount of time in Wisconsin. Have also visited most other states either via truck driving or motorcycle touring. At the end of the day, Minnesota keeps me here... Yes, it gets cold for a couple months. The rest of the year is very comfortable... No real natural disasters to panic about... Daily life is convenient. There are lots of things to do. And while it's not perfect, it's pretty darn good. Taxes are high, but public services, infrastructure and schools are all pretty good, so you get what you pay for. There are some Minnesotans who have never left that will complain about stuff... But those with perspective understand how good we've got it up here.

[@celestepalm6949]

Hi Geography King! I liked seeing the 'Shaft' soundtrack on your last state countdown & its hard to hate Steely Dan. Not surprised Minnesota came out on top. New Mexico is definitely a 'lovable loser' because even with all the stuff wrong with it, it's still one heck of a gorgeous state. There's just something about New Mexico... hey, what's with the bats?

[@samgould8567]

I lived in Rochester, MN, and it was extremely depressing to me. The whole town is literally and figuratively built around Mayo Clinic and it felt exclusionary to people who didn’t work there. I visited last summer and someone nearly ran my wife and me over crossing a neighborhood crosswalk because they couldn’t be bothered to wait 2 seconds. People are on edge. If you don’t work for Mayo, you probably work for IBM and are praying that a layoff isn’t coming. Lots of people go to Rochester only to die, and as such there’s a lot of ambulance sirens and funeral homes. There’s an air of death to someone not accustomed to the area. The “an hero” meme originated from a poor kid in Rochester. It has relatively high local taxes (the highest of any place I’ve lived), lack of sunshine in the spring and bad winter weather (my dad in Alaska said I had it worse). For the land of 10,000 lakes, Rochester is in the only county in MN without a natural fishing lake. There was (is?) a local ordinance that prevented people younger than 18 from reserving tee times at golf clubs (a mostly ignored law but a telling story about the local culture). Cops used to shoot crows with pistols in the fairgrounds after dark, which was annoying. But hey, at least it was legal to bow-hunt a wild turkey on your own property. The traffic is annoyingly bad for such a small town. The owner of the coffee shop I used to frequent ended up being a sex offender, and not in a forgivable way. It is rumored that George Harrison hated Rochester when apparently spending time at the Mayo Clinic. I feel like I could keep going forever… Minnesota is pretty nice, but Rochester isn’t.

[@nj8833]

Yes!!!!!!! So happy to see Pennsylvania get the credit it deserves. I grew up in PA, then moved to the deep south for work - and I can't wait to come home. You'll only be surprised by this ranking if you've never been to Pittsburgh and Philly, or driven through the Poconos. PA will never let you down!! I'm so proud!!!

[@LandonAPerson]

I mean I'm still a little surprised, PA is a decent enough state but I wouldn't expect it to be ranked second best in the nation.

[@Knulppage]

So pumped that you put downtown Kenosha as the first photo for Wisconsin!

[@jricoc3475]

It's a seven-hour drive for me, but that's my go-to summer golf vacation oasis, plus a cool, understated residential lakefront area ...

[@tweezerjam]

Fark yeah PA! 🤟🏼 Bucks County native. Minnesota won his last list so that’s expected. Thanks Ian this was fun. 👍🏼

[@morganm9040]

I had Minnesota or Utah picked as #1 during episode 2. I had a technical training class in Wisconsin for a week a few years ago, and the incredible work ethic wad great to see. BTW, I'm from California.

[@nickbob2003]

Glad to hear my home state of Wisconsin gave you a good impression! It’s number one in my heart (but I will proudly take 5 on this ranking, much better than I thought it would do)

[@geraldmeehan8942]

I liked seeing the old US map you used to start video. Had Oklahoma Territory, Indian Territory, New Mexico Territory and Arizona Territory

[@wolfstar_productions]

I like this channel also. I just watched him last night, the presentation about the Colorado Plateau

[@ryansmith6322]

I was born in #50, spent most of my adulthood in #4, a couple years in #10, and currently live in #8. I’m surprised about the high violent crime rate of WA, but I trust your research. Great videos!

[@williamsullivan3967]

Good stuff, king!