Politics aside- would you rather live in a blue state or a red state?

[old timey villain]

Forget about wanting to live in a state where politicians and policies you support are dominant. There are also a lot of quality of life indicators that correspond generally to red and blue states. Again, these are GENERAL trends and you can find exceptions to all of them.

Blue State Pros:
-more government services
-more minority protections
-better public transportation
-more urban (cultural options)
-better access to healthcare
-better educated

Blue State Cons:
-higher taxes
-housing more expensive
-more urban (overcrowding)
-more regulations
-tend to have more stagnant growth rates


Red State Pros
-lower taxes
-less regulation
-more rural (nature)
-more religious (if you're into that kind of thing)
-tend to have higher growth rate

Red State Cons
-less services
-less public transportation
-lower access to healthcare
-more rural (isolation)
-less minority protections
-less educated

[old timey villain]

I think Minnesota would be the best of both worlds for me. As a blue state, it has better access to education, healthcare and equal protection but the cost of living isn't ridiculously high either. It has the twin cities, which aren't NYC and LA but still have great cultural offerings, but at the same time there are a lot of quaint small towns that seem to offer the simple life people look for in red states. Religion is important but it doesn't dictate everyone's life which is also a nice compromise.

The only downside is the weather. 

[old timey villain]

You guys keep talking about Montana like it's a red state. is it though? It pretty much is at the presidential level, but elects a lot of Dems at the state level, and those are the people who actually make state laws that would affect quality of life there.

[old timey villain]

The only thing a red state would offer me are more churches, since I'm pretty religious.

Otherwise, I think the benefits of a blue state outweigh the cons of it and the benefits of a red state.

I've also recently discovered this winter that I can't handle temperatures under 40 degrees, so I'd prefer the state to be in the South.

Wow, Floridians are so brave in the face of a bitterly cold winter.

Obviously Georgians proved ourselves this year too....

[old timey villain]

Hockey, Literally all of those pictures except the first one could have been in California

[old timey villain]

Keep in mind that we are generally talking about the difference between 60/40 one way and 40/60 the other way.  Or 2:1 in the most extreme (UT,OK,HI,VT) cases.  That leaves a substantial base of people who agree and disagree with you to interact with.  You can still find an vegan society in West Texas or a megachurch in San Francisco if you really want to.

But you forget that in a lot of states, like the south, political divisions fall along racial lines. if you're a white, educated liberal in a small town in the deep south most people who share your partisan loyalties will be black people who still probably don't have much in common with you. They're also more likely to be more religious and socially conservative than you.