Forget the greater potential for earthquakes, floods, wildfires, mudslides, terrorists attacks and the erosive effects of global warming and rising sea levels.

Who cares if the nation's Western and Eastern most housing markets are among the most volatile, plagued by risky roller coaster price rides, frenzied buying surges and selling slumps.

Life is a beach.

America's coastal states and cities are the toast of the town when it comes to where people would most like to live and easy access to the surf is a leading reason, according to a recent Harris Poll.

Perhaps the draw of the ocean, in spite of a potentially topsy-turvy lifestyle, has something to do with the origin of life -- the origin as professed by evolutionary theorists -- some genetic, perhaps spiritual drive to return to where it all began.

The real reason is probably something a lot less introspective.

Like the feeling of always being on vacation.

Or partying in towns that never sleep.

Whatever.

Other than the beach, Harris Interactive doesn't give reasons why people prefer California, Florida, Hawaii as the top hot spots to live or die for.

The poll was conducted online in the U.S. from August 7 to August 13 and included 2,694 adults, 18 and older.

After fourth place North Carolina, landlocked Colorado was the most preferred non-coastal state. After Colorado, came Texas; New York; Arizona and Oregon.

Three states tied for the No. 10 spot -- Washington, Tennessee and Virginia.

When respondents were asked to specify what city they'd most like to live in or near, New York City was No. 1, followed by San Diego, Seattle, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Orlando, Honolulu, Phoenix, Denver and Los Angeles (both at No. 9), Chicago, Boston, Charlotte, Portland and Miami.

When age and sex were considered there were some differences.

Men chose California as the top place they wanted to be which puts them an ocean away from women's top spot, Hawaii.

Echo Boomers (aged 13 to 30); Gen Xers (31 to 42) and those aged 62 and older all said California was cool. Baby Boomers (43 to 61) preferred a permanent hiatus in Hawaii.

If you don't want to run with the lemmings and prefer a city tailored more to your specific tastes? Bert Sperling's BestPlaces.net has a never ending archive of "Best Places" studies based on a host of factors including baby boomers looking for love in all the right places, cities with verve, vigor and vitality for those looking for energetic cities, green towns, towns for going solo, towns for hooking up, secure towns, college towns, towns where you can get the most sleep and towns where you won't hear a peep.

If you still can't find what you want, take the "Find Your Best Place" quiz, answer questions about the climate, economy, housing, education, health, crime, recreation, arts & culture, transportation and population and find your own personal best place to live.

Published: September 12, 2007

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A journalist for 35-years, Broderick Perkins parlayed an old-school daily newspaper career into a digital news service offering editorial content and consulting services. Perkins' San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group includes the flagship news site, DeadlineNews.Com, offering real estate, personal finance and consumer journalism, and a backshop, the Deadline Newsroom.