Can you give me some even better insider info: what city / state (US) is already decent and getting better?
I would avoid NJ/CT/IL for sure. Also seems like more work and highly qualified people are concentrating in urban/metro areas. I would look for somewhere that's up and coming, has decent weather, and secure water supplies. West coast cities, Denver, Austin, Dallas, DC, Boston, NYC seem to be the big ones, although I'm sure there are other urban areas exhibiting growth.
What does State Farm have to do with Chicago? The HQ is 150 miles away. And how does an insurance company lose money absent a massive act of God? By being bad at math, that's how. Why is that the fault of government?