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Is California one of the worst states to live in? A new study released by Top Agency thinks so. The California-based market analyst group released a list of the best and worst states to live in in the U.S.
The study was based on eight data-driven metrics including affordability, crime and safety, economy, education, health care, infrastructure, opportunity, and quality of life. These were weighted based on their importance, with affordability and opportunity being the highest weighted.
The study found that California ranked near the bottom coming in at No. 48. However, an economist from UCSD, Joshua Graff Zivin, told CBS8 that the study overlooks important aspects of California life. "Grocery costs, sales, tax, utilities, cost, transportation costs, income tax, house values, all of that. That's great. But that all has to be juxtaposed against wages," he explained. "If you look across states within occupations, wages are higher here for the same job than they are in other places."
The study found that these are the best states to live in:
- Wyoming
- Vermont
- South Dakota
- New Hampshire
- Massachusetts
- North Dakota
- New Jersey
- Maine
- Florida
- Washington
- Virginia
- Connecticut
- Pennsylvania
- Delaware
- Nebraska
- Utah
- Iowa
- Montana
- New York
- Idaho
To see the study for yourself, click here.