Category: Retreat Locales

Jim, I am enjoying your blog site a lot. I am a big fan of your work, and I especially enjoyed your novel, Patriots. I appreciate the advantages of the western states when the balloon goes up; but some of your readers are going to be tied to the populated east coast and mid-western states. Please take some time after your western state series to give some advice to those of us who will (or must) stay for family, as well as other reasons in the less advantageous areas of the country. Sincerely, – C.G. in Ohio JWR Replies: I’m …

Wyoming: Population: 493,780. Population Density: 5 per square mile (Rank 19 of JWR’s top 19 states). Area: 97,800 square miles (rank 9 of 50). Average car insurance cost: $646/yr. (rank 44 of 50). Average home insurance cost: $484/yr. (rank 20 of 50). Crime Safety Ranking: 7 of 50. Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 93%. Per capita income: $27,372 (rank 28 of 50). ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 16 of 50. Plusses: Low population density, very low crime rate, no income tax. Low car insurance rates. Minuses: Brutally cold winters, especially at higher elevations. Minimal growing season. (Snow has …

Washington: Population: 5.9 million. Population Density: 86.6 per square mile (Far less in the eastern half of the state!) Very high population density (by western U.S. standards.) (Rank 3 of JWR’s top 19 states). Area: 68,100 square miles (rank 20 of 50). Average car insurance cost: $803/yr. (rank 19 of 50). Average home insurance cost: $428/yr. (rank 31 of 50). Crime Safety Ranking: 30 of 50. Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 57%. Per capita income: $31,230 (rank 11 of 50). ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 10 of 50 (tied with Oregon). Plusses: Low property taxes in some of …

Utah: Population: 2.23 million. Population Density: 26.2 per square mile (Rank 11 of JWR’s top 19 states). Area: 84,900 square miles (rank 11 of 50). Average car insurance cost: $718/yr. (rank 32 of 50). Average home insurance cost: $378/yr. (rank 43 of 50.) Crime Safety Ranking: 14 of 50. Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 76%. Per capita income: $23,436 (rank 44 of 50). ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 7 of 50. Plusses: A great state to live in if you are a LDS (Mormon) Church member. On average Utah has the best prepared families in America. (By church …

Dear Mr. Rawles, Having read your retreat advice I’m planning a road trip through Montana and Idaho for November to scout around for a new home and maybe a new job (I’m a high school history teacher). Still, I can’t help but wonder: with the increasing profile of the blog and its ever-greater circulation, won’t greater numbers of survival-minded people moving to the ID/MT area degrade its qualities and reduce it to the same mess we’re all trying to escape/avoid? I got to thinking that when an Idaho resident & survivalist online told me, “Don’t come here, we don’t want …

Having just left South Dakota after 16 years there, I might add concerning the cold and short growing season: 20 below for weeks on end, pretty hefty wind on top of that, and a 90 day growing season if you are lucky. One year I had to replant beans 3 times, the last after they were snow killed in June. Another drawback for the state is lack of potable water. My well put out 5 GPM and was considered a good well and at it was 300 feet deep, to boot. The majority of the water there is very alkaline, …

Texas: Population: 20.8 million. Population Density: 77.9 per square mile (Rank 4 of JWR’s top 19 states). Area: 266,800 square miles (rank 2 of 50). Average car insurance cost: $759/yr. (rank 25 of 50). Average home insurance cost: $880/yr. (rank 1 of 50). Crime Safety Ranking: 41 of 50. Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 82%. Per capita income: $27,752 (rank 24 of 50). ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 47 of 50. Plusses: Has a high rating in “education freedom” (ranked #6 of 50), since Texas has relaxed home schooling laws, but the public schools are far below average. …

Sir: Can you be more detail oriented and give us your opinion on some of the factors you have mentioned previously? Which areas in the West are not potential deserts and have natural un-irrigated water supplies? Which areas are sufficient wood available? Which have the least population density? I have thought Modoc County, CA would meet this requirements. How about you? – R.Y. JWR Replies: Modoc County has much more harsh winters and a shorter growing season than California’s northern coastal counties. You might be better off on the western slopes of the Yolla Bollies. This region is just as …

South Dakota: Population: 754,800. Population Density: 9.78 per square mile (Rank 16 of JWR’s top 19 states). Area: 77,100 square miles (rank 16 of 50). Average car insurance cost: $618/yr. (rank 46 of 50). Average home insurance cost: $380/yr. (rank 42 of 50. ) Crime Safety Ranking: 4 of 50. Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 69%. Per capita income: $25,958 (rank 34 of 50). ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 12 of 50. Plusses: Very low population density and crime rate! A low “total tax burden” of 8.9%. Low car insurance rates. Minuses: Cold winters and a short growing …

I appreciate the link on Captain Dave’s site. I have read your book [Patriots ] ’till the pages are falling out. I have been visiting your blog every day since it was first mentioned on Captain Dave’s. I just wanted to give you a quick A1 “Attaboy” on your advertisers. I have used JRH Enterprises starting in the mid-late 90’s when he was still located in Jacksonville Florida, and he has ALWAYS been a source of good information, honesty, and good deals. If he does not have it he can tell you who does. Bruce Hemming (Buckshot’s) has been a …

Oregon: Population: 3.4 million. Population Density: 35 per square mile (Rank 9 of JWR’s top 19 states) (The highest density is in the northwest part of the state. It is much lower elsewhere, particular eastern 2/3rds of the state.) Area: 97,000 square miles (rank 10 of 50). Average car insurance cost: $704/yr. (rank 35 of 50). Average home insurance cost: $343/yr. (rank 47 of 50). Crime Safety Ranking: 18 of 50. Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 65%. Per capita income: $27,660 (rank 25 of 50). ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 10 of 50 (tied with Washington). Plusses: No …

Oklahoma: Population: 3.4 million. Population Density: 48.5 per square mile (Rank 6 of JWR’s top 19 states). Area: 70,000 square miles (rank 18 of 50). Average car insurance cost: $736/yr. (rank 26 of 50). Average home insurance cost: $612/yr. (rank 5 of 50). Crime Safety Ranking: 33 of 50. Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 80%. Per capita income: $23,650 (rank 42 of 50). ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 23 of 50. Plusses: Minimally regulated home schooling. Minuses: Fairly high population density (by western U.S. standards.) Fairly high crime rate. Tornado prone (ranked #3 out of top 20 States) …

North Dakota: Population: 642,200. Population Density: 9 per square mile (Rank 17 of JWR’s top 19 states). Area: 70,700 square miles (rank 17 of 50). Average car insurance cost: $601/yr. (rank 49 of 50). Average home insurance cost: $426/yr. (rank 33 of 50). Crime Safety Ranking: 2 of 50. Boston T. Party’s State Firearms Laws Ranking: 61%. Per capita income: $24,708 (rank 38 of 50). ACT & SAT Scores Ranking: 6 of 50. Plusses: very low population density. Extremely low crime rate. Extremely low car insurance rates. With the decline in family farming, the state has actually de-populated, leaving real …