California is back in the limelight with a high-profile political feud mounting between President Donald Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom.

For today, I’ll ignore the substance of their arguments. Most have deep constitutional roots and economic consequences. Others are petty.

But no matter who you think is correct, these disputes, once again, raise questions about the livability of California.

I could easily settle the “what’s the best state” debate with a simple stat: Where do the most people live in the U.S.? The Golden State’s most-populous rank can be seen as the ultimate popularity number.

But California’s critics will point to its weak spots — including its lack of population growth in recent years. Has California lost its golden shine?

So as a public service, I refreshed some of my trusty spreadsheet’s previous work that guides folks who are thinking about departing the Golden State.

“Best state” livability rankings — from US News & World Report, CNBC, WalletHub, Statwise, DataPandas, and StateRanks — were deconstructed and retooled into measurements aimed at the 49 states any departing Golden Stater would consider. Additional stats from government and industry sources were added into the math to round out my “Where’s the best state to move to in 2025?” scorecard.

So, where does this math show a wannabe ex-Californian move to?

Topline

The “Leaving California” scorecard’s overall best bet for relocation is Minnesota. Next comes Massachusetts, then Virginia, New Hampshire, and Utah.

Try to avoid the bottom of the rankings, Louisiana, followed by Alaska, New Mexico, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Now, we have to highlight California’s major economic rivals: Texas ranked 33rd, and Florida was No. 10.

And due to the In-N-Out burger chain CEO’s headline-grabbing plans to move her family to Tennessee, let’s note that the Volunteer State ranked No. 40. Sorry, Lynsi Snyder.

Also, a bit of perspective. Contemplate that this same data, when tracking all 50 states, shows California ranking 32nd best.

Look, no two households have the exact relocation needs. Every “best state” ranking — including this one — is part science, part art. They’re conversation starters, not absolute truths.

See inside the six slices that built these rankings. You’ll find hints about the best and worst grades for qualities of living that a departing Californian might seek.

What it costs

There’s zero debate that folks leave the Golden State due to its high cost of living.

This scorecard confirms this: California would have ranked dead last for costs if it were placed in these state grades.

By tracking various affordability measures from overall costs to housing, business expenses, and credit scores, you learn that West Virginia is the nation’s low-cost leader. Then comes Mississippi, Iowa, South Dakota and Alabama.

Leaving California: What’s the best state to move to in 2023?

Conversely, Hawaii is the roughest on the household budget. New York is next, then New Jersey, Massachusetts and Oregon.

Rivals? Texas was No. 35, Florida was No. 40, and Tennessee was No. 19.

It’s the economy, stupid

Cheap is nice. But most relocations require a decent shot at employment and wealth-creation in the new state.

Utah has the best state economy, by my math, which looked at assorted economic grades, job markets, business output, business friendliness and infrastructure.

Leaving California? A 2022 guide to what state is best to move to

The next best economies were found in Florida, Colorado, Texas and Washington. Oh, Tennessee? No. 21.

The weakest economy was in Mississippi, followed by Louisiana, West Virginia, New Mexico and Kentucky.

And the pricey life in California comes with a perk — a relatively strong economy ranking: No. 8 if included in this scoreboard.

Is it livable?

Finances are a significant requirement. But that’s not life.

Calculating how states compare on seemingly intangible factors means compiling quality of life rankings, measuring weather, climate and the environment, options for fun, and workplace protections.

Accordingly, Massachusetts has the most livability. Then comes Florida, Hawaii, Colorado and Washington state.

And skip the worst, West Virginia, followed by Mississippi, Alaska, Louisiana and Arkansas.

Rival Texas was No. 19. And Tennessee? No. 40.

Those planning a California exit will miss this factor. That Golden State would be No. 6 for livability, if included.

Who’s smart and healthy?

If you’re moving with a family, the quality of education is essential. And folks of all ages worry about medical care.

Add up stats such as overall rankings of schooling and healthcare, high school graduation rates, college degrees and life expectancy, and you find Massachusetts is No. 1. Next is Minnesota, then New Jersey, New Hampshire and Connecticut.

Oklahoma is at the bottom of this list. New Mexico, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi follow.

Rival Texas was No. 35. Florida was No. 21. And Tennessee was No. 38.

And California would rank 31st, if included.

Are you safe?

Talk about a hot-button issue.

Personal security is often mentioned as a reason to leave the Golden State — though the definition of “safe” varies wildly.

When tracking measurements of public safety, crime rates, and laws — not to mention accidents and natural disasters —  New Hampshire is the most secure place to be. Then comes Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Jersey.

And the most dangerous, by this math? Louisiana, followed by Arkansas, New Mexico, Texas and Missouri.

Rival Florida was No. 27, and Tennessee, No. 41.

And California would be No. 40, if included.

What others think

You don’t have to believe me.

The penultimate slice of the “Leaving California” scorecard is the consensus grade for each state, derived from six “best state” rankings.

The collective wisdom of others found that Minnesota is the best place for a relocation. New Hampshire was No. 2, followed by Idaho, Massachusetts, and Nebraska.

And the places to skip? Louisiana, followed by Mississippi, New Mexico, Alabama and Arkansas.

Rival Texas got a consensus No. 33 ranking. Florida was No. 10. And Tennessee was No. 38.

If California were in the mix, it’d tie Tennessee at No. 38.

Who’s right?

We could stop right here, but we’d be ignoring the elephant in the room.

Many former Golden Staters say they were not fans of the state’s liberal-leaning politics.

So a “most conservative” state ranking was in order — using yardsticks such as broad political grades, support for Donald Trump in the last election, state tax and fiscal policies, and corporate benevolence.

This math says South Dakota is the most conservative. Then there’s Tennessee, Idaho, Wyoming and North Dakota.

At the other end of the spectrum, those who prefer “red” should skip New Jersey, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Vermont from relocation possibilities.

By the way, Texas was No. 9 and Florida was No. 6 on this political totem pole.

And if California had been ranked, it would be No. 46. Zero shock.

The recount 

It’s 2025, when everything seems to have a partisan bent — sadly, I’ll add.

So the scorecard was retabulated using a “conservative” bias. It’s two-thirds of the original overall livability rankings plus one-third for political grades.

This way, the best state for a California relocation is Utah. No. 2 is Florida, then Idaho, Nebraska, South Dakota and Virginia. Texas was No. 20. And Tennessee was No. 28.

This politically spun metric shows the worst place for an ex-Californian is New Mexico, followed by Louisiana, Alaska, Nevada and Mississippi.

California, if included in this right-leaning math, would be 43rd.

Postscript

Or, peek at simple demographics: Where do Californians actually move?

Census migration stats for 2021 through 2023, the latest data available, show Texas was the No. 1 destination, with 303,958 new ex-Golden Staters. No. 2 was Arizona at 197,811, then Nevada (153,270), Washington (148,402), and Florida (127,217).

Where do Californians not go? Delaware is home to only 1,292 ex-Golden Staters, West Virginia has 1,799, Vermont has 2,753, Wyoming has 5,344, and Rhode Island at 5,784.

PS: Full rankings can be found at bit.ly/states2move2

Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at [email protected]

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