Midwest, baby! our cost-of-living is the lowest in the nation, I believe. Gas prices here are only $1.70 or so. housing is also much much more affordable here. i remember when my dad's company was considering transfering him out to Cali about 7 years ago, he asked a guy out there how much it would cost to live in a 50-yr old house that's about 2000 sq ft on roughly 1/8 acre lot, in a AAA school district (i guess that's a good thing?), live within 30 mins of work, etc. I think the figure was well over $500,000. We bought our house for about $170,000. Plus it's nice and not crowded most places here (except Chicago, but they don't count b/c the Cubs suck). And we get all types of weather here in Missouri, all in moderation.
i don't have much experience in terms of getting a job taken from an illegal, but as of right now, i don't mind the legals coming in & taking the jobs that we otherwise wouldn't like (cleaning crews, lawn mowing, etc.). but the illegals are a drain, receiving services from the federal, state & local gov'ts for which they don't pay (thru income & property taxes). but i do know people that have had difficulty finding work, an occurrence which they attributed to large numbers of immigrants concentrated in a relatively small area.