Five Reasons Washington is Better Than California

Alright, so I hate to ever be considered as divisive, but sometimes we need a sprinkling of contrast to make us feel better (or even better) about certain things; and today, we're going to take a run at making you feel great (or even greater ;-) about living in Washington State!

Today (February 22), happens to be National California Day, and with the fair blessings of everyone who hails from the Golden State, we're going to use the land of Hollywood, Disney, and Richard Milhous Nixon to provide a bit of contrast for why living in the Evergreen State is just a little bit better.

Okay! So what'dya say! Let's get to it already!

I. GAS AND THINGS THAT GIVE YOU GAS...LIKE EGGS...ARE CHEAPER
Yes, it may be true that inflation has made the cost of virtually everything go up virtually everywhere. But anyone that's ever been to California and stayed long enough to buy a candy bar and fill up their tank with gas can tell you that everything in the Golden State is priced like its made of solid gold!

From Tuna Helper to Super Unleaded, if you're buying it in California, prepare to reach deeper into your wallet to pay for it.

In fact, according to the Economic Research & Information Center, Californians reside in the fourth-most expensive state for purchasing goods and services in the nation. And while it may be true that Washington isn't far behind at tenth-most, we're guessing that gap in actual dollars translates to at least enough to buy you a lottery ticket and a Slim Jim after quittin' time!

II. FEWER TAXES
Sure, Washington's sales tax rate might be higher, but we pay NO state income tax! Unlike Cali, which charges its residents anywhere from 1% to 12.3% to call the Golden State home.

Need we say more?

III. CLEANER AIR
Before you read on, stop for a moment and take a deep breath.
Aaaaaahhhhhh! Doesn't it feel good to breath in the cleanest air in the contiguous United States?

You heard right, only Hawaii (#1) and Alaska (#2) have a healthier, day-to-day Air Quality Index according to World Population Review.

Yeah, I know the wildfire thing during the summer can seriously taint this feeling...but California has those seasonally too, and theirs are always bigger and nastier than ours.

IV. OUR CASCADES ARE BIGGER THAN YOUR CASCADES
Yeah, there's nothing like a good old fashioned p*ssing contest using geology to make a person feel somewhat superior about where they live.

Plus, it happens to be true...so what'dya gonna do?

The Cascade Mountains start in southern British Columbia and rise high above the North American landscape for 700 miles. But California's piece covers a mere fraction of this distance and includes only two notable peaks.

Meanwhile, Washington's chunk of the Cascades is the star of the show - with five major peaks, including the tallest (Mount Rainier at 14,410') and the most volcanically active (Mount St. Helens).

So while we just hate to gloat, we really can't help it, since Washington's mountains are just a little bit better than Cali's.

V. WE'RE (SLIGHTLY) LESS RUDE
Sadly, both California and Washington have unfortunate reputations for possessing rude citizens, and anyone from the Evergreen State's eastside who's ever visited Seattle probably wouldn't disagree as to why we get lumped in with our West Coast neighbors to the south.

But despite the apparent lack of decorum within both borders, a recent report by Zippia confirms that while Washington may be the sixth-rudest state in the nation, California comes in one spot ahead of us at number five!

So, without seeming rude, we'd just like to say, "choke on that Golden State!"

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