|
|
Sunny beaches do seem to make for a cheery atmosphere, with Hawaii snagging the top well-being spot again in a yearly poll. CREDIT: © Cjwhitewine | Dreamstime.com |
Preliminary results from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index reveal which states are happiest in 2011. Hawaii took the top spot, followed by North Dakota and Alaska.
The well-being Index score is an average of six factors, including included life evaluation (self-evaluation about your present life situation and anticipated one in five years); emotional health; work environment (such as job satisfaction); physical health; healthy behavior; and basic access (access to health care, a doctor, a safe place to exercise and walk, as well as community satisfaction). [See last year's results for happiest states]
Read the full story to learn more about the survey and what it means. Also see Top 5 Keys to Happiness.
Here are the 50 U.S. states in order of their well-being scores, which are out of 100 points:
- Hawaii: 71.1
- North Dakota: 70.5
- Alaska: 69.4
- Nebraska: 68.4
- Minnesota: 68.3
- Colorado: 68.3
- Utah: 68.1
- New Hampshire: 67.9
- Iowa: 67.9
- Kansas: 67.8
- Vermont: 67.8
- Maryland: 67.8
- Massachusetts: 67.7
- South Dakota: 67.6
- Virginia: 67.6
- California: 67.5
- Washington: 67.2
- Oregon: 67.2
- Montana: 67.1
- Connecticut: 66.9
- Arizona: 66.9
- New Mexico: 66.8
- Idaho: 66.7
- Wisconsin: 66.6
- Maine: 66.6
- Texas: 66.6
- New Jersey: 66.5
- Wyoming: 66.5
- North Carolina: 66.5
- Rhode Island: 66.2
- Illinois: 66.2
- Georgia: 66.2
- Delaware: 66.0
- Nevada: 65.9
- Pennsylvania: 65.8
- Michigan: 65.8
- South Carolina: 65.7
- Florida: 65.4
- New York: 65.2
- Missouri: 65.1
- Alabama: 65.1
- Indiana: 64.9
- Arkansas: 64.9
- Oklahoma: 64.8
- Tennessee: 64.7
- Louisiana: 64.6
- Ohio: 64.4
- Mississippi: 63.6
- Kentucky: 63.0
- West Virginia: 62.4
Follow LiveScience for the latest in science news and discoveries on Twitter @livescience and on Facebook.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include Arizona, which had been left off the list.









