Here in the desert, AC units only break at 8pm on Friday when I'm out to eat with the wonderful woman I am lucky to share my life with, and its 110 degrees.  

  ~14% higher family income in Minneapolis.You would think we would save on utilities but water, electricity, and gas are all quite expensive here so even though we use less energy our utility bills may even out (or exceed) with the high energy cost and the water bills.At least we get the sunshine, beaches, mountains, desert but it does have a cost. 

If you can get upto the 3500 elevation level in some deserts, you can get better than most otherwise from what I can tell the weather basically sucks pretty much everywhere else , wind tunnels, heat tunnels, humidity tunnels, frost tunnels, rain tunnels...all the tunnels.

No Whole Foods but there’s a TJs and an Aldi so it’s not a food desert. 

Why does it make some people pay exorbitant amount of cash and risk their life crossing the desert into AZ?

As far as Russians go, I think we should and could look at them (worried) as a perfect example on how to fail being bogged down in endless quagmire wars on a deserted place like Afghanistan.

Does anyone have any experience with replacing your lawn with desert landscaping?

I know several people investing in the High Desert areas of Victorville, Hesperia, Apple Valley in th So.

Vegas has some of the lowest tax's in the US.. desert climate as oppossed to thaw freeze or deep south rain clay soils thunderstorms wind etc.. grass that grows a foot in one month  LOL.. and a big one is houses that were built with modern codes most with stucco and tile roofs.. compared to houses that are 50 to 125 years old . 

Tile (anywhere other than kitchens and baths) screams "low rent" except in tropical or desert climates, where the coolness underfoot is appreciated.