Gallup, most well known for its incredibly telling polls on everything, released its Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, (AKA what states are happier and healthier than all the others). The biggest surprise of the list is that the great state of Alaska took the number one spot (for the first time in the index’s 7 year history). You betcha’.
The rankings are based off over 2.1 million surveys that “captures how people feel about and experience their daily lives.” The five elements of happiness seem to boil down (at least according to Gallup) to five elements: purpose, social, financial, community and physical. Here are the overall rankings for the happiest and healthiest states:
1) Alaska What states ranked the lowest?
41) Missouri
2) Hawaii
3) South Dakota
4) Wyoming
5) Montana
6) Colorado
7) Nebraska
8) Utah
9) New Mexico
10) Texas
42) Michigan
43) Arkansas
44) Tennessee
45) Alabama
46) Mississippi
47) Ohio
48) Indiana
49) Kentucky
50) West Virginia
PHOTOS: The 10 happiest and healthiest states to live in
Matt Lee is a Web producer for Metro New York. He writes about almost everything and anything. Talk to him (or yell at him) on twitter so he doesn’t feel lonely@mattlee2669.
