But it's more than just that, it's a matter of our perceptions of what is important to us. What you think is a "good" thing, I might not be interested in at all, and what I may think is a "bad" thing, is what you like the most about the place. I don't think of LA as "scrubland" and I think swamps are beautiful. But to be honest, the food of Louisiana alone, is enough to garner it a Top 10 ranking, in MY book.
I have Texas ranked #2, behind Hawaii, but for completely different reasons. Hawaii, I mean, who wouldn't want to live there? Given ALL options, I'd take that one. Texas ranks #2 because it's like living in a state that is a country. They have their own Texan way of doing things, and everything in Texas is bigger. From there, Colorado is just unique and beautiful, and this is kind of my general prerequisite for the remainder of my list. The middle of my list was the toughest part, lots of places that are okay, but maybe not my cup of tea, and then the bottom of the list is the same thing, it's just my personal prefs. I am not a big fan of COLD weather, so colder states, even though they may be beautiful, aren't as high as they might otherwise be. Alaska managed a #12 ranking, simply because I think it would be an interesting place to live. I wouldn't miss 114 degree temps with 110% humidity. I wouldn't care to live there during the winter, but for a summer? Sure, I'd go hang out with Sarah!
