SOUTH DAKOTA WAS THE ONLY STATE THAT DID NOT REQUIRE ANY BUSINESSES TO CLOSE

I try to monitor some trends, like those in job trends, real estate, certain industries, and so forth.  So I was particularly fascinated by an article by Gary North over at Specific Answers, dated June 9th, 2020, and titled, "The Next Migration Has Begun."  

North starts with a full re-post of a Bill Myers' post at his website in its twilight phase, called BMyers.com.  The opening line to that post reads

The next big migration has begun.  People are fleeing the big cities to smaller conservative enclaves. 

That is interesting, but I'd want to know where the conservative enclaves are.  Myers accommodates my curiosity by citing a few Florida towns

Homes in safe places like Venice and Sarasota and Englewood which haven't seen any protests or riots are selling for cash days just after being listed. Most buyers are from New York, New Jersey, Michigan, even Georgia. 

So people are moving out of cities ravaged by Democrats and gutted by social programs and pensions, including cities that have been lit on fire during the recent riots.  Dr. North highlights some of the benefits of moving to the South, but which states might depend more on what you're seeking, how old you are, or whether your family is going with you.  I don't know how people forsake their families.  Here's North, 

Property taxes are low in the South. They are astronomical in the Northeast. They are astronomical in Chicago and they're going to go higher. Why should people stay there whose jobs do not pay them large salaries? There is no good reason. Yes, they have families, and if their children and grandchildren are located within less than an hour's drive, and when there is a lot of visiting of the grandparents, this serves as an anchor. But not everybody is in that situation. 

Citing Ballotopedia, Dr. North shows which states did not cooperate in the lockdown, and what that means for future prosperity, including jobs.  Ballotpedia writes

Seven states—Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming—did not issue orders directing residents to stay at home except for essential activities in March and April 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic. This is in contrast to the 43 other states, which issued orders at the state level directing residents to stay at home except for essential activities and closing businesses that each state deemed nonessential.    Read more about those stay-at-home orders here. 

Here is a map of these states for visual effect.  We can see that it is the center of the country, not necessarily the most conservative of states but certainly fiscally conservative in that the tax commitment is low.  But does that low-tax profile translate into quality of life, like low-crime, good universities, fine establishments, and so forth?  Hard to tell; least, hard for me to tell.  You have to visit the cities to know better.   

South Dakota was the only state that did not require any business to close.  Remarkable.  

What's nice about the Ballotpedia article is that it lists which businesses were closed and which were not during the lockdown.  None were completely free, which means that none were perfect.  But Dr. North does point to a few that present opportunities now and down the line.  One thing for sure, 6 of the 7 states have cold weather.  How does one endure the weather at the price of keeping more of what you earn? 

North writes

The governors who resisted the siren call of issuing lockdown orders were courageous men. They took a stand against the medical establishment. They refused to act unconstitutionally. They left a legacy of liberty in their states that will last for at least a decade and maybe longer.

All seven of these states have Republican governors.

With one exception, they are contiguous states. They are in the Western side of the heartland.

Two of these states do not have state income taxes: Wyoming and South Dakota.

Arkansas is the only one that is warm. That's why I would move to Arkansas.

Arkansas has America's tax haven city: Texarkana. That is where I would move to.

Inside the city limits of Texarkana, there is no state income tax. The legislature has made a unique exception because the city covers both sides of the Texas and Arkansas border. There is no state income tax in Texas. The legislature in Arkansas recognizes that individuals and businesses on the Arkansas side of State Street have to compete with Texans. The best way to compete is not to have to pay the state income tax. So, Texarkana, more than any other city in America, is a tax haven. 

Here is a related article by Dr. North.

1-2 bedroom apartments in Fayetteville, Arkansas are not cheap.  They start at $900.

Little Rock is better.  I found a few at $500 to $600.  But the prices soon shoot up to the $900 and $1,200 range.

Texarkana.