After visiting all 50 states, there are only 3 that I'd choose to live in

Sep 14, 2026 10:52 PM - 1 hour ago 1

Teton mountains successful wyoming astatine sunrise

I'd happily take to unrecorded successful Wyoming to beryllium adjacent the Tetons. Gary Yeowell/Getty Images

As a travel writer who has been to each 50 states successful the US, I genuinely do judge that each is worthy visiting astatine slightest once.

Some states, arsenic I've written before, merit aggregate trips. However, location are only a prime fewer I'd see surviving successful full-time.

As a constitutionally (and professionally) nomadic individual, it takes a typical portion of the state to make maine want to enactment put for longer than a month.

From the mountains of the American West to the Atlantic Coast of New England, present are the 3 states I'd take to unrecorded successful each time.

I can't defy the cosmopolitan civilization of New York's actual jungle

View of caller york metropolis billboards, yellowish taxis

New York City has an power dissimilar immoderate different spot I've been,  Marco Bottigelli/Getty Images

I'm presently surviving successful New York City, and I'd take to do truthful complete and complete again.

And aft each of my travels, I guidelines by the thought that New York City is the only existent "city" city.

I whitethorn activity retired the serenity of quality connected my trips, but erstwhile it comes to day-to-day living, I agelong for the 24-hour bodegas and 4 a.m. past calls successful the metropolis that ne'er sleeps.

Plus, I admit really easy it is to time off the metropolis and research the state's different landscapes. When I tyre of each those agleam lights and large metropolis action, seaside getaways to spots for illustration Shelter Island aliases the Hamptons are only a short train thrust away.

Author Katherine Parker-Magyar sitting astatine a solid array connected a pavilion overlooking h2o successful Montauk

I emotion visiting the islands adjacent Manhattan, particularly places for illustration Montauk.  Katherine Parker-Magyar

As a predominant traveler, 1 of the different immense benefits of surviving successful New York is that I get easy entree to 2 awesome world airports wrong the authorities that thief maine find nonstop flights to almost anywhere. (As a bonus, New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport isn't excessively acold away, either.)

I spent astir of my post-college years surviving successful Manhattan, truthful I besides wealth that it's adjacent to galore of my friends and family. (Full disclosure: I'm a New Jersey native.)

I emotion the wildness and the wide-open spaces of the Cowboy State

Author Katherine Parker-Magyar smiling successful skis cogwheel connected snowy slopes successful Jackson Hole

I emotion hitting the slopes whenever I americium successful Jackson Hole.  Katherine Parker-Magyar

Yes, I americium transitioning from the astir populated US metropolis to the least-populated state: Wyoming.

The authorities has awesome opportunities for horseback riding, skiing, hiking, and truthful overmuch more. It's a existent dream for those who bask the outdoors and staying progressive done a assortment of activities.

In the past, I've spent respective years cabin-dwelling successful the Cowboy State — and I'd happily do it again. I recovered solace successful the wide unfastened spaces of Grand Teton National Park and grew accustomed to falling dormant to the howls of coyotes.

I agelong to return to that manner of penning successful the morning, skiing successful the afternoon, and watching that occidental sunset successful the evening pinch a bourbon successful hand.

moose successful Jackson Hole

Jackson Hole is stunning.  christiannafzger/Getty Images

When I do deed 1 of New York's airports, the destination I often yearn to alert to the astir is Wyoming's Jackson Hole. In my humble opinion, it's the astir beautiful spot successful America.

The state's mountains are often calling me, and I tin spot myself answering again 1 day, permanently.

Rhode Island epitomizes my perfect of East Coast land living

Author Katherine Parker-Magyar heading to formation successful Rhode Island opinionated betwixt 2 debased buildings

I emotion to sojourn the formation erstwhile I'm successful Rhode Island.  Katherine Parker-Magyar

As overmuch arsenic I adore the play of the Tetons, there's thing that rather compares to the sea.

Although the Pacific has sandier beaches and sunnier days, I for illustration New England's jagged coastline and stormier seasons.

I've spent galore summers on the Atlantic shores of Rhode Island, and I tin envision myself happily domiciled connected its rocky seashore year-round.

Rhode Island is simply a thrill to explore, teeming pinch coastal communities that each person their ain charm, from Narragansett to Jamestown, Little Compton to Block Island.

Block Island astatine the Mohegan Bluffs

Block Island is simply a awesome spot to visit.  nico_blue/Getty Images

The operation of the farmlands successful Portsmouth and the lively nightlife of Newport already makes its Aquidneck Island my favourite getaway each summer.

One day, I dream that the Ocean State becomes my safe haven for each 4 seasons. By then, of course, I'll person to find a caller vacation spot to flight to.

This communicative was primitively published connected February 14, 2025, and astir precocious updated connected September 14, 2026.

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Katherine Parker-Magyar is simply a contributing writer for Insider based successful New York City. She has visited 70 countries and each 50 states, and loves to observe caller cultures and adventures connected her journeys. Follow on connected Instagram @katherineparkermagyar, Twitter @kpm1231, aliases sojourn her website at www.katherineparkermagyar.com.

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