Every county in America, ranked by scenery and climate

[FLPanhandle]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/08/17/every-county-in-america-ranked-by-natural-beauty/

Ventura County, Calif., is the absolute most desirable place to live in America.

I know this because in the late 1990s the federal government devised a measure of the best and worst places to live in America, from the standpoint of scenery and climate. The "natural amenities index" is intended as "a measure of the physical characteristics of a county area that enhance the location as a place to live."

The index combines "six measures of climate, topography, and water area that reflect environmental qualities most people prefer." Those qualities, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, include mild, sunny winters, temperate summers, low humidity, topographic variation, and access to a body of water.

These "natural aspects of attractiveness," as the USDA describes them, are intended to be constant and relatively immutable. They're not expected to change much over time, so the USDA hasn't updated its data beyond the initial 1999 scoring. "Natural amenities pertain to the physical rather than the social or economic environment," the USDA writes. Things like plants, animals or the human environment are excluded by definition. "We can measure the basic ingredients, not how these ingredients have been shaped by nature and man." I stumbled on these numbers after reading about a recent study linking natural amenities to religiosity. (U.S. counties with nicer weather and surroundings tend to have less religious residents.)

I've mapped all the counties above according to where they rank on the natural amenities index -- mouse over to check out how desirable (or not) your own county is. You'll see that Sun Belt counties fare pretty well -- especially ones in California and Colorado. In fact, every single one of the 10 highest-ranked counties is located in California. After Ventura County, Humboldt, Santa Barbara, Mendocino and Del Norte counties round out the top five.

By contrast, the Great Lakes region fares poorly, with most of the lowest rankings clustered around the Minnesota/North Dakota border region -- hey there, Fargo! The absolute worst place to live in America is (drumroll please) ... Red Lake County, Minn. (claim to fame: "It is the only landlocked county in the United States that is surrounded by just two neighboring counties," according to the county Web site).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My county ranked #467 but I prefer it over many of the higher ranked places. It got dinged for humid summers, but I like humid summers.

[Brickbat]

1. A weird, subjective scale that leaves a lot out of the equation.

And don't push Minnesota Nice too far.

http://www.startribune.com/washington-post-reporter-says-minnesota-is-ugly-minnesotans-politely-beg-to-differ/322350791/

“As someone who grew up in the heart of ‘ugly country’ on this map, I hereby declare this map garbage, ” tweeted Minnesotan Matt Privratsky.

(snip)

Senator Al Franken told Ingraham that a survey in the senator’s office found that the ugliest place to live was the Washington Post newsroom.

(snip)

“He can kiss my butt, ” Red Lake County official Chuck Simpson said of Ingraham. “We were talking about it at coffee the other morning. What a joke.”

The methodology behind the listing doesn’t make sense, Simpson said. The reliance on mild winters and bright sun meant Death Valley listed fairly high, for example.

“I’m looking out my back window here, ” Simpson continued while talking on the phone Wednesday. “I’ve got a doe and two fawns eating out there right now. Is this ugly? I’ve got hummingbirds flying around the cotton pickin’ place!”

[ChisolmTrailDem]

9. That was highly entertaining. Thank you, Brickbat :) nt

[BlueJazz]

46. Shoot, the people in Minnesota wouldn't know what was good or bad anyway.

They never go anywhere except "Up North" (whatever that means)

[NutmegYankee]

2. My county ranked #385 - New London, CT

I'm sure the cold winter and low winter sun dinged us.

Topography is definitely a plus for us. Flat and boring New England is not!

[TransitJohn]

13. It's all relative

2400' of total relief looks very flat to me, here in Denver. I can see peaks 9200' higher than my current 5300' from my yard.

[NutmegYankee]

15. True, but

I was getting at the inherent beauty of a rolling landscape over a flat one. Driving up and down curvy roads is just better living. And by flat, I mean like the coastal plain of the Southeast.

[Logical]

3. I think the lakes in Minnesota deserve some credit. Maybe it is the winter that dings them. nt

[exboyfil]

6. State bird is your problem

and we have it almost as bad as here in Iowa. By bird I mean a certain insect.

In general Minnesota is a great state. Minneapolis is on my daughter's short list after graduation.

[Logical]

8. I live in Kansas but spend many vacations in MN. Kansas is flat as hell. Not much to see. And a.....

hellhole of GOP control.

[HereSince1628]

50. Forests are humid, MN is not mountainous, it gets cold

I think those things combine to cause MN and WI to fall low.

At least the North Shore of MN is recognized with good scores. Door Co. WI, one of the state's great tourist attractions for natural beauty is brown. I imagine the hospitality industry there is about apoplectic.

[exboyfil]

4. 2,920 out of 3,111

I have also lived in:

10
1264
815
2180

Frankly I would order it as follows from best to worst

2920 Blackhawk Co, IA
1264 Putnam Co, TN
815 Harrison Co, MS
10 Orange Co, CA
2180 Lawrence Co, WVa

It all depends on what you want. No way on this planet is Lawrence Co, WVa better than Blackhawk Co, IA though. I could easily move back to Putnam Co though to escape the harsh winters. If I was independently wealthy or did not have to travel to a job, then Orange Co would not be horrible.

[reformist2]

5. Hilarious reader comments!

This is why I love the internet.

From JeffBBiz:

Immutable physical characteristics.... Hmm.

OK, here are some immutable physical characteristics of, say, Ventura County: It sits astride the San Andreas fault. That's definitely an immutable physical characteristic which is NOT going to change. Also, that whole area of the world suffers from low rainfall -- something which we are finding to be unfortunately mutable (getting worse) due to global warming -- and high high winds (eg the Santa Ana winds).

Eventually "The Big One" will strike, smashing fire engines and making roads generally impassable. That earthquake will also start a lot of fires which will be be fanned by the hot, dry winds. spreading wildfires, indiscriminately burning bone-dry chaparral and million-dollar mansions. At that point the residents of Ventura County (and many others) won't be thinking much about the inadequacy of the USDA's list because they will be too busy running for their lives amidst the flames and social chaos...

[Hortensis]

7. I enjoy these things, but -- as usual -- climate and water supply changes seem to have

at least mostly ignored, if not altogether. Our friends in Ventura County, ranked #1 most desirable, are currently living with intensive drought and the need to transition dying landscape to other. Rising seas mean saltwater in their well water, although they can barely taste it so far. And, of course, extreme fire danger from the beautiful arroyo across the road and nearby mountains. Fortunately, they are close to the ocean and have the ocean breezes, but most of the county is north of the coastal mountains and experiencing the intense heat that has become typical for inland SoCal.

On the plus side, Ventura County is way out front of most of the nation in planning for the future. Not at all where it needs to be, but I can imagine that in future it will be, in its new way, as nice to live in, comparatively, as it has been.

As for the bottom of the list, the Great Lakes area? Really, guys? On a planet that is already warring over disappearing fresh water, the Great Lakes are the largest body of fresh water on the entire planet. Surely that counts for something? (It's a silly myth that water is being sold to China, but a challenge for the future will be to keep too much from being sold to other states and provinces.) And if that doesn't count now, a population boom, with concomitant rise in economic status, of people, green garden lovers, businesses, research and educational institutions, moving to escape the heat and drought farther south doesn't take a genius to predict.

[truebluegreen]

10. #71 Boulder CO

[EX500rider]

11. WhooHooo! Pinellas County Fla-117th!!

[lpbk2713]

35. Who knew?

Even in spite of being the HQ of the Church of Scientology.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

12. 2447 out of 3111 or so.

We're not last, yay!

[GummyBearz]

14. Can you link the searchable list?

I tried clicking on the myriad of links in the article but couldn't find it

[FLPanhandle]

18. The only way I could search was to rollover my county on the map with the computer mouse

No listing as far as I can find.

[karynnj]

16. This all depends on the variables and the weights -- and you can find really idiotic rankings

Look at Vermont. Tourism is a major industry because of its natural beauty. Yet, it looks like nothing in the state is more than average with areas that I know are gorgeous rated low. I live in Burlington and yesterday had the near magical experience of going to a wedding held on Lake Champlain on a boat. On any day, we have the sparkling Lake and the Adirondacks in one direction and the Green Mountains in the other. Yet that is just average. Why - I suspect it is because climate is one variable and it snows in VT. However, that snow is WHY people come to VT in the winter.

Yet, I notice that nearly the entire state of Arizona is high or very high. In fact, many areas are gorgeous. However, I went with family to a reunion in July this year in Sedona. As my Seattle daughter protested when we told her this year's location -" I'll die". I have no problem with Sedona's rank, but I really don't get why Phoenix, where it was 117 degrees, was also rated very high. It is impossible to objectively assess beauty, but I really think Chittenden county easily has as many beautiful vistas as the county Phoenix is in. If Chittenden is penalized for cold, snowy weather -- shouldn't Phoenix be penalized by 117 degrees and a drought so severe that there were spontaneous fires?

[smirkymonkey]

23. I completely agree with you.

The northeast has so much incredible natural beauty and so much of it ranks low on this scale. My brother lives in Burlington and I go to visit every now and then. It is such a beautiful area! I live in Boston, but grew up in the Adirondack Foothills in New York which is another area of great natural beauty - lakes, trees, mountains - that ranked very low, probably because of the cold snowy winters. Coastal New England is beautiful as well, but ranks low.

[karynnj]

36. Agree with you on both coastal New England and the Adirondacks

We just drove from NYC, stopping in Hyde Park with a daughter to see FDR and Elinor's estate, then up the thruway to get back to VT. It was a beautiful ride - even on the Thruway. The Lake George area is also gorgeous. I had always thought the Hudson school landscapes were simply idealized -- until seeing that area. The same with Cape Cod and the NH and Maine coasts, they are gorgeous.

It is true that the Western mountains are bigger and the landscape is amazing, but so are the beautiful trees on the Eastern Mountains.

As someone who hates really hot weather, I was the one who pushed for retiring in Burlington - and my husband and I love it. It is a winter wonderland, stunningly gorgeous in fall and spring and has cool breezes most nights in summer.

[smirkymonkey]

37. If you ever want to treat yourself, have dinner at Shelburne Farms Inn

sometime if you haven't already. We sat outside overlooking the lake and the Adirondacks w/ the beautiful Italian gardens in front of us. Everything they serve is made or grown on the farm or locally sourced. It was one of the loveliest evenings I have ever had.

[karynnj]

47. I've gone there for brunch a few times

It was absolutely fantastic and they welcome people to stay and walk the grounds -- which we did. One time was when all the lilacs around the inn were in bloom. A feast for both the eyes and nose. We tried to get a reservation for dinner once, but waited way too long -- and they were already booked. We will definitely do so. (We eally like their cheese as well!)

[Blue_In_AK]

17. It's convenient that Alaska and Hawaii were left out.

I've lived a lot of places - including several in California - but to me, Alaska is the best. You'd have to pry me out of here with a crowbar.

[Z_California]

19. I live in #1

I do love Ventura County, but there are drawbacks. The city I live in is the home to the worst nuclear accident in American history, the courtroom where the Rodney King cops were acquitted, and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

The weather is amazing though.

[Politicalboi]

29. I used to live there

I really want to go back there. We moved there in 1967, I left in 2004. Went there the other day, bought a sub at Chi Chi's and came back home. I loved living there. No pot shops, but the valley isn't far.

[LibDemAlways]

56. I live in the county, too, near the 101 on the LA County

border. In this part of the county, the summer weather is hot -- as hot as the oven known as the San Fernando Valley. I do admit that much of the rest of the county enjoys cooler temps. Still, there isn't much to see or do here. Nothing special for tourists, unless a Repuke wants to take in St. Ronnie's library. I can think of a dozen counties in CA alone that are more desirable.

[bigwillq]

20. New Haven County, CT. 370 out of 3,111 (nt)

[Quixote1818]

21. It ranks West Texas high??????? Holy Crap! Biggest shit hole on the planet! nt

[Arugula Latte]

40. Hey! I've been to West Texas ...

and I'd have to agree wholeheartedly with you!

[Gloria]

53. I live 50 Miles from Texas and it makes me sick

I refuse to go there, pay any sales taxes,etc. to such a crap state.
I'm sure there are great people there, but the people running the place are really shit.

Women should run from the place, esp. Hispanic women...They are treated like chattel.
And the poor teachers..,

Of course, I'm stuck with Gov. Martinez and Pearce in Congress, so there are BAD things here in Southern NM, too...

My only solace are the Organ Mountains and the sky...and pretty cheap avocados!

[tabasco]

22. Why is the Department of Agriculture wasting their time on this bullshit?

A: They have too much taxpayer money.

[Rex]

25. Yeah! Shut em down along with the EPA!

[tabasco]

32. Because that's what I said!

[reformist2]

26. Their county ratings actually correlated highly with population growth, so there's that.

I'm not sure why the USDA was doing that kind of research, but I would imagine that this is important stuff for a lot of planners across a number of government agencies.

[Rex]

24. Most of the best are on the Cali coast.

Interesting.

[mainer]

27. "must have mild, sunny winters"

That leaves out some of the most beautiful places in America.

[sufrommich]

39. This. nt

[mike_c]

28. number two ranked Humboldt County must be a terrible mistake....

Really, it sucks here. You would hate it. For god's sake, stay away.

[Snobblevitch]

30. This county rating doesn't make sense.

Why is Cook County ranked high and the rest of the state of Minnesota a veritable wasteland?

I grew up on a Minnesota lake. Yes, the winters were brutal, as were the summers. In between, it was heaven. That's the reason the interior of the USA was the last to be settled. Minus 100 degree windchills in the winter and 100 degree heat in the summer, with high humidity.

[Marrah_G]

31. Very strange map, in my opinion

[fizzgig]

33. #77 - larimer county, co

it's the colder winter and access to a body water that ding us most. yeah, we get a couple weeks of arctic freeze every year and, yeah, there's a chance of getting a two- or three-foot dump of snow (rarely more than once a winter, if at all), but our winters are pretty mild. and there's plenty of reservoirs and lakes that i can get to in as little as 20 minutes.

my husband wants to move and part of me wants to, but i grew up here and the other part of me can't imagine not living here.

[AZ Progressive]

34. These maps back up why I can't think of living anywhere else than the West

Not only the topographic variation but also the mild winters. I don't know how you people in the Eastern U.S. can live with your brutal winters and brutal humid summers. At least in Arizona in the summer, the nights are warm and great, due to the dry heat. In the East, you have to still deal with the oppressive humidity at night.

There's actually so little year round desirable land in America, most of it is in California. No wonder why housing prices are so high there. Southern California in particular has mild winters and mild summers (especially with the Marine Layer cooling things down.)

[cali]

38. National Geographic so disagrees with my county being 2000 something

The Northeast Kingdom has been listed in the North American and international editions of "1,000 Places to See Before You Die", the New York Times best-selling book by Patricia Schultz. In 2006, the National Geographic Society named the Northeast Kingdom as the most desirable place to visit in the country and the ninth most desirable place to visit in the world.[5]
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_Kingdom

[sufrommich]

41. There is no average or below average scenery along the

Lake Superior shoreline or Lake Michigan or Lake Huron for that matter.

[ileus]

42. Another BS map...

developed from where the sun shines and the distance to the closest ocean.

[likesmountains 52]

43. wow...I live in the 69th best county!

too bad it's also the place where the Gold King mine poured 3 million gallons of mine sludge in to the river that runs through here...

[BlueJazz]

44. Sarasota County rates 144 Not too bad.

[struggle4progress]

45. Dunno

I've lived in 1732, 988, 35, 2202, 279, 1754, and 1644

I loved living in 35 but I expect hardly anybody is going to move there -- and I really hope hardly anybody does, because it's fragile and they'll ruin it

But I also loved living in 1732 and 2202 (which are quite populous) and 1754, where I've been many years now

De gustibus non disputandum

[femmocrat]

48. We are #869 with average natural amenities.

I'm not sure what that means exactly.

[Buns_of_Fire]

49. Alright! There are 707 counties that suck more than we do!

Okay, so maybe #2404 isn't that great, but just wait until the sea level rises another five feet or so...

...nah, we'll still be at #2404. But at least we'll have waterfront property.

[liberal N proud]

51. I have yet to live in a desirable place!

Retirement maybe?

[Gloria]

52. WOW, I live in #165 out of over 3000!

Every day I look out over the arroyo as my flock of quail come looking for their breakfast...and I gaze at the Organ Mountains, the newly minted National Monument.

So much different than living in Jersey....Jersey has wonderful places, BUT...the traffic was unbearable 15 years ago when I left 15 years ago and I can't imagine what it's like now...Haven't been back....

[madaboutharry]

54. This map is stupid.

Everyone knows Iowa is heaven. Didn't they see Field of Dreams?

[LibDemAlways]

55. I live in #1 Ventura County, and there is

no possible way this county is the most desirable place to live in America. The landscape is pleasant but nothing to write home about -- decent beaches, modest mountains, plenty of scrub brush. It's basically a county that people drive through on their way north to Santa Barbara, which has equally nice weather and better scenery or south to LA. What Gertrude Stein said about Oakland is true of Ventura County -- there's no there there.