Washington (State)

This Pacific Northwest state (officially joining the Union in 1889) has the honor of being named after George Washington, the first U.S. president. Although only the 18th largest state, it’s the 13th most populous. 60% of its population lives in Seattle, while the remainder of the state is sparsely populated. It leads the U.S. in liberal and progressive policies, such as legalizing same-sex marriage, cannabis, and assisted suicide.

Production-wise, Washington is a front-runner in lumber, thanks to its mountains full of white pine, hemlock, Douglas fir, and ponderosa. It’s also the U.S.’s leading producer of agricultural products such as raspberries, apples, pears, sweet cherries, hops, peas, lentils, and spearmint oil. Small businesses based on these industries would do well to relocate here.