The costal states offer much more to their residents because so many people live there, but they are also the most ass backwards, at least in my opinion. I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It's a very nice place to be in the summer, but currently, we are in the middle of the winter where it's not uncommon for the tempurature to be -10F (-23C) or colder. Plus, we have lots of snow on the ground. Then again, we are also one of the fittest cities in the nation with lots of bike trails and things to do outside in the summer, and even in the winter if you can stand the cold. Those who are looking for culture, we have the second biggest theatre audience (plays/musicals) behind NYC, and we have a very deep history in the music scene with lots of venues for bands to play.
Everyone is going to tell you something different, because as you clearly pointed out, America is flippin' huge and most of us haven't seen or experienced every city and what it has to offer.
Here [http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/23/most-dangerous-cities-lifestyle-real-estate-dangerous-american-cities_slide_2.html?thisspeed=25000] is a list of the 15 most dangerous cities to live in America. Incidently, where I live is one of the safest cities.