why Wyoming?

In the comments to the previous post, Charles wants to know why I'd pick Wyoming as a place to settle if I should move back to the States.

Take a look at these maps:

Southern California is right out, as you see—it's a huge ocean of violence and death. I could never move there. Besides, Cali is expensive, over-regulated, and going down the tubes, economically speaking. Businesses and regular citizens are leaving California for less regulated states like Texas. Who can blame them? (Of course, as Instapundit darkly notes, these people bring their voting habits with them, which will eventually ruin things for everybody and turn places like Texas into metastatic Californias.)

But look at Wyoming! Along with the Dakotas, Wyoming is almost pristine when it comes to murder stats. As a resident of northern Virginia, I've been in DC often enough to have heard gunfire off in the distance. That's not very reassuring. If I'm going to hear gunfire, let it be the sound of someone plinking away at bottles on a fence.

So Wyoming has low, low murder stats going for it. It's also ruggedly beautiful, with its mountains and hills and forests and lakes and occasional rivers. I could dig the peace and quiet. With a house out in the middle of nowhere (but not too far from the local Walmart), and with a dog or two as my companions, I think I'd be quite happy.

(click the above image to see it at full size)