[quote=jstoesz]Have I used up Minneapolis? And I really do like Boise. But I think Spokane is pretty awesome. Basically pick a number any number…except for LA and SF. So far I have been impressed with Sac, the town as a whole is pretty ghetto, but parts of downtown are really nice and affordable (crap schools though). I am just really impressed with what I can afford. Omaha is also a great little town, but poor outdoor opportunities. I liked Portland, Eugene, and Seattle when I visited, but I have spent little time there, so I am not confident in my analysis…
How about Salt Lake City… Mormons are generally happy and healthy![/quote]
If you go to Minneapolis in February and start asking people whether they’d like to pay extra $500/month to live in San Diego, nine out of ten will say yes.
Net migration rate to Nebraska is consistently negative. It just turned positive to 2009 for the first time in I’m not sure how long, and that’s almost certainly because its unemployment rate is below nationwide average, so it’s a temporary fluke. Under normal circumstances, people (especially educated people) tend to flee Nebraska.
Seattle is almost as expensive as San Diego. SLC could be a good place to live for some, but not for everyone.
Portland is the closest you get to defending your thesis.