Survey says the West is the best, non-westerners agree

The Doors’ frontman Jim Morrison may have been right when he sang “The West is the Best!”

That proclamation was supported by a new survey commissioned by Sunset magazine. According to the survey, which polled more than 2,000 U.S. residents last fall, people living in the western United States believe they are better looking, wealthier, smarter, more fun, more optimisitc, more creative, more independent, more environmentally conscious and more technologically savvy than other Americans.

OK, so it may be no surprise that westerners would crow about themselves. But what is surprising is that the survey suggests that the rest of the country agrees with westerners on many points. According to the survey, the country as a whole agreed that westerners are the most physically fit and the country’s top trendsetters who live in the most exciting part of the nation.

What makes the West superior? Westerners have a healthy, positive outlook, a sense of confidence and adventure, enjoy great climate and scenery and hold a commitment to cultural activities, according to the survey.  Westerners also travel more than the rest of the country and spend more time with family and less time watching television.

“These findings prove what we’ve suspected for a long time: People living in the West have an indomitable sense of optimism and confidence,” said Katie Tamony, Sunset’s editor in chief.

For the sake of full disclosure, we should note that Sunset magazine bills itself as “the premier guide to life in the West.”

– Hugo Martín, Times Staff Writer

[Photo: A surfer enjoys the sand and scenery in Huntington Beach, Calif. Credit: Los Angeles Times]

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 10, 2009 at 10:32 am by Hugo Martin and is filed under California. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.