Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Best? Worst? Nevadans weigh in on how their state ranks

The Loneliness

The “welcome to Nevada” sign near the Border Inn is at the border of Nevada and Utah on U.S. Highway 50 on Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011.

Best and worst states

A third of Nevadans say their state is the best or one of the best states in which to live, according to a new survey.

That puts the Silver State as the 12th-worst state to live in, as judged by its own residents, according to a Gallup poll.

On average, 46 percent of Americans said their state was the best or among the best, and in the top two states — Montana and Alaska — 77 percent of residents said their state was in that category.

The findings are the result of a poll Gallup conducted of at least 600 residents in each of the 50 states between June and December 2013. It's the first time Gallup has used this question on how residents feel about their state.

In Nevada, 33 percent of residents said their state was the best or one of the best and 7 percent said it was the worst possible place to live.

According to the poll, the top states behind Montana and Alaska were Utah, Wyoming, Texas and Hawaii. Gallup points out that the top states (with the exception of Texas) have small populations (like Nevada) and are in the West (like Nevada).

"Residents with the most pride in their state as a place to live generally boast a greater standard of living, higher trust in state government, and less resentment toward the amount they pay in state taxes," the Gallup report said.

The states behind Nevada are Ohio, Connecticut, Missouri, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, Michigan, Louisiana, Mississippi, Illinois and Rhode Island — where only 18 percent of residents said their state was one of the best.

What do you think? Is Nevada one of the best places to live or the worst? Tell us in the comments below.

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