New Research Ranks Well-Being in the U.S. by State

Well-being in the U.S. has been bolstered by many positive trends including a decline in the national uninsured rate, a decline in the overall smoking rate, and an increase in reported exercise. Food and healthcare insecurity has also dropped to a seven-year low. However, not all national well-being trends have moved in a positive direction. Obesity has continued its relentless upward climb, reaching a new high mark in 2015.

With the release of a new report from the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index^®, you can gain new insight into the state of well-being across the nation.

The report, “State Well-Being Rankings for Older Americans 2016”, provides an overview of well-being trends within the United States. As in prior years, well-being in the U.S. exhibits regional patterns. The northern plains and mountain west are higher well-being areas, along with some western states and pockets of the northeast and Atlantic.  The lowest well-being states are in the south and move north through the industrial Midwest.

Hawaii reclaimed the top spot among states in the U.S. for well-being as 2014’s highest well-being state, Alaska, slipped to second. Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Utah, Arizona and California rounded out the rest of the top 10. Kentucky and West Virginia continued to have the lowest well-being in the nation, ranking 49th and 50th, respectively, for seven straight years.

To discover where other states — including yours — fall within the rankings, download a copy of the report today.

The Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index uses a holistic definition of well-being and collects self-reported data from individuals across the globe to create a unique view of societies’ progress on the elements that matter most to well-being: purpose, social, financial, community and physical. It is the most proven, mature and comprehensive measure of well-being in populations.