WASHINGTON — In looking for happiness, it’s family-friendly communities for some, tropical paradise or the rugged West for others.
A survey of Americans’ well-being, conducted by Gallup in partnership with Healthways and America’s Health Insurance Plans, gives the highest marks to Utah, which boasts lots of outdoor recreation for its youthful population, while Hawaii took second place and Wyoming was third in the poll, which rated such variables as mental, physical and economic health.
Colorado ranked fourth on the list.
West Virginia was ranked last among the states. And the bluegrass state of Kentucky was 49th, with Mississippi 48th on the list.
In general, highest well-being scores came from states in the West while the lowest were in the South. The happiest congressional districts were some of the wealthiest, while the lowest scores came in some of the poorest.
The survey attempts to measure people’s well-being. It examines their eating and exercise habits, work environment, and access to basic necessities, just to name some of the criteria.
“It’s not just about physical health,” said Eric Nielsen, a spokesman for Gallup. “It’s about their ability to contribute at work and be more productive, and it’s about feeling engaged in a community and wanting to improve that community.”
The massive survey involved more than 350,000 interviews. Examples of the questions: Did you smile or laugh a lot yesterday? Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with your job or the work you do? Did you eat healthy all day yesterday? Do you feel safe walking alone at night in the city or area where you live?
Those taking the survey could get a score of up to 100. The actual difference between states wasn’t great: The average score for Utah was 69.2 points, while the average for West Virginia was 61.2.
Gallup researcher Jim Harter said he believed geographic divides could be overstated and that even states with the highest scores had significant work to do to improve certain aspects of residents’ health and happiness.
