Written by William Hale
California has long been a sought after destination. The Golden State’s endless sunny weather, famous landmarks, historic national parks and innovative culture in cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles have brought 213.8 million visitors to California in 2021 alone. But while those from the outside looking in tend to perceive a beachy paradise of wealth and luxury, individuals and families living under California’s democratic rule know a different story.
The real truth about California was demonstrated by a new study from Top Agency, a California-based market analyst group. The comprehensive study concluded that California is the 48th best state to live in, beating out only Mississippi and Louisiana.
The study’s methodology accounted for the latest data in eight categories, or “dimensions” when ranking each state. Those dimensions were Affordability, Crime & Safety, Economy, Education, Healthcare, Infrastructure, Quality of Life and Opportunities.
According to Top Agency, California ranked 49th in Affordability, 36th in Crime, 41st in Economy, 47th in Education, and 46th in Opportunity. However, California did perform better in categories like Healthcare and Quality of Life.
Red states dominated in the Affordability and Economy category — as eight out of the top 10 most affordable states in the nation lean Republican. When combining every category into an overall ranking, Wyoming came out on top. It should be no surprise that Wyoming ranked number one in both Affordability and Economy considering WY has zero state-income tax along with one of the lowest sales-tax rates in the nation.
In many ways, Wyoming’s public policy is the antithesis of Newsom’s California. And while California still has incredible potential, the state’s greatest possibilities may never be actualized without a shift in California’s overwhelmingly liberal-minded culture.
Photo Cred: Getty Images
