The Top 10 Best Places to Live in North America

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The Onken family barn in Bluegrass, Iowa, built in 1870.
The Onken family barn in Bluegrass, Iowa, built in 1870.
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1. Map of North America States with high ratings.
1. Map of North America States with high ratings.
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3. Map of North America States with areas designated for tornado, eqrthquake and hurricane danger.
3. Map of North America States with areas designated for tornado, eqrthquake and hurricane danger.
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2. Map of North America States areas with average amount of sunlight and solar potential.
2. Map of North America States areas with average amount of sunlight and solar potential.

This MOTHER EARTH NEW reader survey shows the top 10 best places to homestead in North America. (See the North America homesteading maps in the image gallery.)

The Top 10 Best Places to Live in North America

“Go West (or Midwest), folks” pretty well sums up the findings of MOTHER’S first-ever Community Survey — with apologies to 19th c. newspaper editor Horace Greeley and his admonition to adventurous and ambitious youth of his day. We stopped counting the responses just before press time, and, as always occurs when we ask you for your opinion, got significantly more than we asked for. Hundreds of you not only commented upon your individual communities, but also upon the state of the nation, the quality of our air, water and soil, and the content of our character. But first things first.

The greatest percentage of respondents who are big fans of their communities are centered in:

1. Wisconsin, Oregon, or Washington State, or … 2. In select communities or areas in a broad band running up the middle of the continent from Oklahoma through Missouri, Indiana, Michigan, and Minnesota and into the eastern prairie provinces, and/or … 3. In settlements of like-minded souls far from good-job markets, and where public services (schools, police) are few or less-than-adequate by city standards, or … 4. Outside a small city or on the fringes of a country town.

  • Published on Aug 1, 1996
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