Not everyone can be as lucky in love as Ray and Samantha Tejeda.
They met in a California night club, and after seven years of dating and a well-planned road trip, Ray popped the big question.
“She said yes, so she’s stuck,” he laughs.
California is inherently romantic, with its beautiful sunsets, ocean views and warm weather.
The state came in among the Top Ten in a 2017 survey of the best states for finding lasting love, but three other potentially surprising states took the top three spots: Mississippi, Utah and Wisconsin.
Dr. William Chopik, a professor at Michigan State University, studies human interaction. He says the quality and ways in which people approach relationships vary.
“There are some places that are a little bit more insecure with respect to the relationships and the degree to which they actually approach relationships,” Dr. Chopik says.
Chopik’s study suggests people living in states like North Dakota, South Carolina and New York may be less secure in relationships and more worried their partner might leave.
They also tended to be a little more distant and less intimate.
No matter your zip code, your state of mind may be key.
“I think being able to communicate with your significant other is the key to any successful relationship,” Ray Tejeda says.
Complete state rankings:
1. Mississippi
2. Utah
3. Wisconsin
4. Vermont
5. Alaska
6. North Carolina
7. Delaware
8. Minnesota
9. Oregon
10, 11, 12. California, Maine, Washington (tied)
13. Pennsylvania
14. Arizona
15. Oklahoma
16. Idaho
17. Florida
18. Montana
19. Hawaii
20. Louisiana
21. Virginia
22. Massachusetts
23. Illinois
24. Iowa
25. New Hampshire
26. New Jersey
27. Tennessee
28. New Mexico
29. Alabama
30. Arkansas
31. West Virginia
32. Georgia
33. Michigan
34. Nevada
35. Connecticut
36. Nebraska
37. Wyoming
38. Maryland
39. Texas
40. Missouri
41. Indiana
42. New York
43. Colorado
44. South Carolina
45. Ohio
46. Rhode Island
47. South Dakota
48. Kansas
49. Kentucky
50. North Dakota
