Harris Interactive The Harris Poll

FLORIDA KEEPS #1 POSITION AS STATE
WHERE MOST PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO LIVE

___________________________________________________________

by Humphrey Taylor

For the fourth year in a row, Florida is the state where most people would like to live. A new Harris Poll asked a cross-section of 1,009 adults which state they would choose to live in, if they could live in any state of the union except the state, they live in now. Florida has topped the list, as the most popular state to live in, every year since Harris began asking the question in 1997.

The next most popular states where people would choose to live are Colorado, North Carolina, Arizona and California. The other five states in the top ten – ranked from number six to equal number ten are Washington, Hawaii, Virginia, Georgia, Texas, Montana, and New York.

Several states have moved up the list, including:

    • Colorado, up from #3 to #2
    • North Carolina, up from #4 to #3
    • Arizona, up from #6 to #4

States which have slipped down the list include:
    • California, down from #2 to #5
    • Texas, down from #5 to equal #10
    • Montana, down from #7 to equal #10

Fourteen of the top fifteen states in last year’s list make it into the top fifteen again this year. The one change: Maine dropped out of this list and was replaced by New York, at equal number 10 this year.

Humphrey Taylor is the Chairman of The Harris Poll.

TABLE 1

STATES WHERE MOST PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO LIVE

(APART FROM THEIR STATES)

Base:

"If you could live in any state in the country except the state you live in now what state would you choose to live in?"

RANK NOW

RANK IN

1997

1998

1999

2000

1

Florida

1

1

1

1

2

Colorado

4

2

3

2

3

North Carolina

6

4

4

3

4

Arizona

2

5

6

4

5

California

3

3

1

5

6

Washington

8

12

8

6

7

Hawaii

7

=7

=9

7

=8

Georgia

11

14

12

=8

=8

Virginia

14

11

=9

=8

=10

Montana

*

*

7

=10

=10

New York

*

=15

*

=10

=10

Texas

10

=7

5

=10

13

Alaska

15

15

=9

13

14

Oregon

9

9

15

14

15

Tennessee

5

6

13

15

* Not in top 15.

Note: Maine (#14 last year) dropped out of the top 15 this year, as New York came into the list.

Methodology

This Harris Poll was conducted by telephone within the United States between June 29 – July 5, 2000, among a nationwide cross section of 1,009 adults. Figures for age, sex, race, education, number of adults and number of voice/telephone lines in the household were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.

In theory, with a sample of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a statistical precision of plus or minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the entire adult population had been polled with complete accuracy. Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be interviewed (non-response), question wording and question order, interviewer bias, weighting by demographic control data and screening (e.g., for likely voters). It is difficult or impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

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THE HARRIS POLL #42, August 7, 2000

12491
Q805
COPYRIGHT 2000 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
ISSN 0895-7983