America's Happiest (and Most Miserable) States

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Alaska led the nation with the highest level of well-being of all states, supplanting North Dakota, which plummeted to 23rd place. West Virginia remains the state with the lowest well-being for the sixth consecutive year.

The 2014 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index measures the well-being of Americans in each state based on interviews conducted between January and December, 2014. This year’s index incorporated a range of metrics categorized into five essential elements of well-being: purpose, social, financial, community, and physical. Based on the well-being index, 24/7 Wall St. examined the states with the highest and lowest scores.

Click here to see the happiest states in America

Click here to see the most miserable states in America

While Gallup’s index is based in part on subjective survey measures, the respondents’ perceptions are often closely tied to outcomes. According to Dan Witters, research director of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, well-being is closely linked to economic indicators and societal outcomes, such as median household income and teen pregnancy rates.

Witters explained that the five essential elements of well-being are interwoven, and a high score in one category can lead to a high score in another. However, this was not guaranteed by any means. All of the 10 happiest states rated better than most in the purpose category, which measures how much residents like their day-to-day lives and how motivated they are to meet their goals. However, in other categories, such as the financial element of well-being, two of the top states overall fared worse than most states.

Physical health, which together with healthy behaviors, was part of the physical element of well-being this year, is an especially important factor contributing to happiness, according to Witters. In fact, examination of healthy behaviors and outcomes measured by government data suggest this is the case.
In states with high well-being scores, residents were less likely to smoke and more likely to exercise regularly. Residents in nine of the happiest states were more likely than most Americans to have an exercise routine of some kind. All but one of the states with the lowest well-being, on the other hand, had more physically inactive residents compared to the national average.

The states with the highest well-being also enjoyed the positive outcomes of healthy behaviors, including lower obesity rates and smaller incidences of other common health problems, while in general the opposite was true for the states with the lowest well-being. High cholesterol, high blood pressure, as well as heart disease-related deaths were all far more common in the states with the lowest well-being.

While money certainly does not buy happiness, financial well-being plays a significant role in happiness. All of the most miserable states had median household incomes far below the national median income of $52,250 in 2013. However, the median household income in only half of the happiest states exceeded the national median income.

The states with the happiest residents also had relatively low unemployment rates, and people reported relatively few days of poor mental health. The unemployment rates in all of the 10 happiest states was less than the national rate of 7.4% in 2013. And nine of these states reported fewer monthly poor mental health days than the national average.

A regional pattern is also evident. According to Witters, while the top and bottom states change regularly from one year to the next, they tend to be in similar parts of the country. Witters said states in New England, the Northern Plains and Mountain West regions, as well as Alaska and Hawaii, generally and regularly report very good well-being. Low well-being, on the other hand, is found “around the Bible Belt…the South and heading north up through the industrial midwest.” Witters described this as “a very consistent pattern.”

“The thing about those southern states,” he said, “that really hurts them is that they do a lousy job taking care of themselves.”

24/7 Wall St. reviewed all 50 U.S. states based on their scores in the Gallup-Healthways 2014 Well-Being Index. Gallup-Healthways calculated a national well-being score as well as one for each state based on interviews conducted between January 2 and December 30, 2014, with a random sample of 176,702 adults. As part of the rank, Gallup combined five separate essential elements of well-being. In addition to the index, 24/7 Wall St. considered data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2013 American Community Survey, including median household income, poverty rates, and adult educational attainment rates. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we reviewed annual state unemployment rates and median hours worked among, both from 2013. We also reviewed 2013 obesity and teen pregnancy rates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Incidence of heart disease in 2013 is from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The share of the population with low incomes and low access to healthy food comes from the Department of Agriculture’s Food Environment Atlas. Low access is defined as living more than one mile from a supermarket in an urban area or more than 10 miles from a supermarket in a rural area. We also considered state violent crime rates in 2013 from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report Program. Lastly, we used 2012 regional price parity from the Bureau of Economic Analysis as a proxy for cost of living. All other data come from the United Health Foundation’s 2014 report “America’s Health Rankings”.

These are the happiest (and most miserable) states in America.

The Happiest States in America

10. Texas
> Poverty rate: 17.5% (13th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 6.3% (17th lowest)
> Obesity rate: 30.9% (15th highest)
> Poor mental health days (last 30 days): 3.2 (9th lowest)

Based on the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, Texas residents had the 10th highest well-being in the nation. Texas residents were among the most likely to be content with their jobs and be motivated to achieve their goals, with the state ranking second in the purpose category, one of five elements of well-being in Gallup’s Index. Texans worked 36.3 hours per week in 2013, the most nationwide. This may reflect in part Texans’ motivation and workplace satisfaction. Texans were not especially healthy, however, with an obesity rate of nearly 31% in 2013 and relatively few residents reporting routine exercise. More than 22% of residents did not have health insurance in 2013, the worst rate nationwide, which may have made it more difficult for Texans than most Americans to get the medical care they need. Despite these poor physical health indicators, nearly 71% of adolescents in the state were vaccinated in 2013, one of the higher rates, and less than 16% of adults were smokers, one of the lower smoking rates reviewed.

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9. New Mexico
> Poverty rate: 21.9% (2nd highest)
> Unemployment rate: 6.9% (24th highest)
> Obesity rate: 26.4% (13th lowest)
> Poor mental health days (last 30 days): 3.7 (24th lowest)

Unlike most states with the happiest residents, a typical household in New Mexico had relatively low income in 2013, earning a median of less than $44,000. The median national household income was $52,250 that year. New Mexico also had an exceptionally high poverty rate, at nearly 22% in 2013, the second highest nationwide. While many New Mexico residents struggled with financial burdens, they tended to be in relatively good physical health. For example, the obesity rate of 26.4% was among the lower rates in the nation. Residents reported relatively few cases of high blood pressure and high cholesterol as well, which likely contributed to a lower incidence of heart disease. There were 147 heart disease-related deaths per 100,000 people in 2013, the 10th lowest such rate in the country. On Gallup’s survey, New Mexicans rated their physical health and habits fifth best in the country.

8. Utah
> Poverty rate: 12.7% (14th lowest)
> Unemployment rate: 4.4% (4th lowest)
> Obesity rate: 24.1% (4th lowest)
> Poor mental health days (last 30 days): 3.5 (18th lowest)

Utah is one of only a few states where less than one-quarter of adults were obese in 2013. Residents were also the least likely in the nation to report high blood pressure and high cholesterol that year. Utah residents generally reported healthy behaviors, which likely helped contribute to the good health outcomes and the state’s high well-being. Utah adults were the least likely to be smokers, with only 10.3% reporting the habit in 2013. Traditionally low smoking rates may have helped Utah residents stay healthy and out of the hospital. Between 2010 and 2012, there were less than 146 cancer-related deaths per 100,000 people, the lowest rate nationwide. In addition to strong physical health, Utah residents also liked where they lived, felt safe, and reported having pride in their community — the state ranked seventh in the nation in Gallup’s community element of well-being. Like most states scoring well in this category, Utah’s violent crime rate of 209 incidents per 100,000 people in 2013 was among the lowest in the country.

7. Nebraska
> Poverty rate: 13.2% (17th lowest)
> Unemployment rate: 3.9% (3rd lowest)
> Obesity rate: 29.6% (24th highest)
> Poor mental health days (last 30 days): 3.0 (6th lowest)

With an unemployment rate of 3.9% in 2013, the third lowest nationwide, Nebraska residents had the benefit of a relatively strong job market. Nebraskans were also more likely than most Americans to feel content with their jobs, rating their day-to-day contentment and motivation to meet goals — part of the purpose element of well-being — the seventh best nationwide. Workers also reported having just three poor mental health days per month in 2013, the sixth-lowest figure nationwide. While the median household income in Nebraska was slightly lower than the national figure, the cost of living was considerably more affordable than most states. As in most of the happiest states, Nebraska is also a relatively safe state. There were approximately 252 violent crimes per 100,000 people in 2013, one of the lower rates in the country.

6. Colorado
> Poverty rate: 13.0% (16th lowest)
> Unemployment rate: 6.8% (25th highest)
> Obesity rate: 21.3% (the lowest)
> Poor mental health days (last 30 days): 3.3 (11th lowest)

Colorado retained its 2013 standing on the list of happiest states, with a particularly high ranking in the physical element of well-being this year. The state had the lowest diabetes rate of all states, ranked second lowest in the percentage of the population with high blood pressure, and ranked third lowest in the percentage of residents with high cholesterol. The state also had the lowest obesity rate in the country, at 21.3% of the adult population. Residents were also relatively well-off financially. The state’s 2013 median household income of $58,823 was the 12th highest in the country. In addition, only 8.6% of Colorado households received food stamp benefits in 2013. Colorado households also had better access to services such the Internet, as 79.4% of residents reported having a broadband Internet subscription, the fourth highest percentage in the country.

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5. Montana
> Poverty rate: 16.5% (19th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 5.6% (14th lowest)
> Obesity rate: 24.6% (6th lowest)
> Poor mental health days (last 30 days): 3.3 (11th lowest)

As in most states with the happiest residents, Montanans were well educated. Nearly 93% had completed at least high school as of 2013, the third highest rate and considerably higher than the national rate of 86.6%. Montana residents were in exceptionally good physical health, which likely significantly contributed to happiness. Less than one-quarter were obese in 2013, for example, the sixth-lowest rate nationwide. Residents also had relatively low rates of diabetes and high blood pressure. Residents were not especially wealthy, however, earning a median household income of $46,972 in 2013, lower than the national figure of $52,250.

4. Wyoming
> Poverty rate: 10.9% (6th lowest)
> Unemployment rate: 4.6% (6th lowest)
> Obesity rate: 27.8% (21st lowest)
> Poor mental health days (last 30 days): 3.2 (9th lowest)

Wyoming residents rated their lives last year much better than they did in 2013, when the state ranked near the bottom. This was also the largest improvement among all states. Wyoming residents had among the most supportive and loving relationships last year, faring better than every other state except for South Dakota in Gallup’s social element of well-being. Strong relationships likely played a major role in the well-being of residents. Like other states excelling in this category, Wyoming residents rated their communities very well — residents liked where they lived and felt safe. There were less than 200 violent crimes reported per 100,000 residents in 2013, the fourth lowest crime rate in the country. Wyoming residents also benefited from a strong job market. In 2013, less than 5% of the workforce was unemployed, the sixth lowest rate nationwide. In addition, while nearly 16% of Americans lived in poverty in 2013, less than 11% of Wyoming residents lived in poverty, a lower rate than in all but a handful of states.

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3. South Dakota
> Poverty rate: 14.2% (23rd lowest)
> Unemployment rate: 3.8% (2nd lowest)
> Obesity rate: 29.9% (21st highest)
> Poor mental health days (last 30 days): 2.5 (the lowest)

South Dakota received high rankings in the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, scoring as one of the top five states in four of the five essential elements of well-being. The Mount Rushmore State scored highest in the social and community categories. In 2013, 91.6% of adults had at least a high school diploma, the sixth highest ranking in the country. In the same year, the state reported the fewest poor physical as well as poor mental health days. South Dakota also had the lowest percentage of adults reporting insufficient sleep. The median household income in South Dakota was $48,947 in 2013, below the national median household income of $52,250. Also in 2013, 12.5% of state residents relied on food stamps, compared with the national percentage of 13.5%.

2. Hawaii
> Poverty rate: 10.8% (5th lowest)
> Unemployment rate: 4.8% (8th lowest)
> Obesity rate: 21.8% (2nd lowest)
> Poor mental health days (last 30 days): 2.7 (2nd lowest)

Hawaii is one of only two top 10 states to have among the highest well-being every year since Gallup started surveying Americans in 2008. This year, Hawaii residents had the second best overall well-being, leading the nation in Gallup’s physical health category. Hawaiians reporting having less than three poor mental health days per month on average in 2013, one of the lowest figures in the country. The state also led the nation in the financial element of well-being, with a typical household earning $68,020 in 2013, the fourth highest median household income nationwide. Hawaii, however, had the nation’s highest cost of living in 2012, with goods and services costing residents roughly 17% more than the national average cost of living. Residents also benefited from a strong job market — Hawaii had an unemployment rate of just 4.8% in 2013, versus the national rate of 7.4%.

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1. Alaska
> Poverty rate: 9.3% (2nd lowest)
> Unemployment rate: 6.5% (18th lowest)
> Obesity rate: 28.4% (23rd lowest)
> Poor mental health days (last 30 days): 3.1 (7th lowest)

Alaska reached the top spot in the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index for the first time since the survey began in 2008. The Last Frontier State ranked in the top seven of states in all of the categories reviewed, leading the nation in the purpose element of well-being. Alaskans had one of the longest average workweeks in the country — 35.2 hours in 2013 — and the second highest median household income, at $72,237. Alaskans clearly felt good about themselves: they reported 3.1 poor mental health days in 30 days preceding the survey, the seventh lowest figure in the nation. Residents also had relatively low rates of diabetes and high blood pressure. Alaskans had healthy eating habits with among the lowest rates of adults consuming less than one helping of vegetables daily. Only 22.3% of Alaskans reported no physical activity outside of work, eighth lowest in the nation. Despite some healthy lifestyle indicators, Alaska ranked among the worst states in the nation for binge drinking, adult smokers and immunization rates for children and adolescents.

Click here to see the most miserable states in America

The Most Miserable States in America

10. Missouri
> Poverty rate: 15.9% (23rd highest)
> Unemployment rate: 6.5% (18th lowest)
> Obesity rate: 30.4% (17th highest)
> Poor mental health days (last 30 days): 3.8 (21st highest)

Missouri fared poorly in all of Gallup’s elements of well-being. Overall, the state residents rated their well-being 10th lowest in the nation. While money and happiness are not directly related, financial stability is a major factor in the well-being of most Americans. As in most of the states with the unhappiest residents, Missouri residents have relatively low incomes. A typical household earned less than $47,000 in 2013, one of the lower incomes nationwide. However, living in Missouri is far less expensive than most states. Missouri ranked especially low in Gallup’s physical element. Unhealthy behaviors among residents were among the greatest contributors to Missouri’s low well-being score. More than 22% of adults smoked in 2013, for example, one of the highest smoking rates in the nation. Also, nearly 44% of residents consumed less than one serving of fruit daily, versus a national rate of 37.7% and higher than in all but a few other states.

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9. Michigan
> Poverty rate: 17.0% (15th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 8.8% (5th highest)
> Obesity rate: 31.5% (11th highest)
> Poor mental health days (last 30 days): 3.9 (13th highest)

Michigan residents rated their day-to-day lives and motivation to pursue goals worse than most Americans, ranking near the bottom in Gallup’s purpose element of well-being. Like other states ranking poorly in this category, Michigan’s job market is relatively weak. In 2013, 8.8% of the workforce was unemployed, a higher rate than in all but four other states. Relatively poor physical health and unhealthy habits among residents also likely contributed to low well-being in the state. Nearly 19% of adults reported binge drinking in the last 30 days, an exceptionally high proportion compared to other states with low well-being.

8. Arkansas
> Poverty rate: 19.7% (4th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 7.5% (18th highest)
> Obesity rate: 34.6% (3rd highest)
> Poor mental health days (last 30 days): 4.4 (4th highest)

Arkansas residents rated their physical health and ability to get things done daily nearly the worst in the nation on Gallup’s survey. Unhealthy habits led to poor health outcomes in the state. Nearly 26% of Arkansas residents smoked, nearly the highest rate in the country. Also, more than 34% reported not exercising routinely, nearly the worst rate nationwide. Lack of exercise may have contributed to the state’s obesity rate of nearly 35%, which was the third highest in the country. Residents were also poorly educated compared to those in other states. Less than 21% had completed at least a bachelor’s degree in 2013, the third lowest rate in the nation. Arkansas had a nation-leading 43.5 teenage birth rate per 1,000 15-19 year old female state residents. Arkansas residents were also not especially well-off financially. Nearly one in five residents lived in poverty in 2013 — much higher than the less than 16% national poverty rate, and a higher rate than in all but three other states.

7. Tennessee
> Poverty rate: 17.8% (12th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 8.2% (10th highest)
> Obesity rate: 33.7% (4th highest)
> Poor mental health days (last 30 days): 3.7 (24th lowest)

Tennessee residents were among the least likely Americans to exercise routinely in 2013, with more than 37% of respondents reporting zero physical activity in the last 30 days, the second worst proportion in the country. Lack of exercise may have contributed to the state’s obesity rate, which was nearly 34% in 2013, the fourth highest compared to other states. Even though residents had relatively unhealthy habits, they were the least likely to binge drink, with less than one in 10 adults reporting such drinking habits. A typical Tennessean household earned $40,511 in 2013, the second lowest median household income nationwide. People living in the Volunteer State also likely did not feel as safe as many other Americans. Nearly 580 violent crimes were reported per 100,000 people in the state, the fourth highest rate in the country.

6. Alabama
> Poverty rate: 18.7% (7th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 6.5% (18th lowest)
> Obesity rate: 32.4% (8th highest)
> Poor mental health days (last 30 days): 4.4 (4th highest)

Alabama residents had nearly the highest incidence of both high cholesterol and high blood pressure in 2013, as well as an obesity rate of 32.4% — one of the highest rates nationwide. As in other states with poor physical health measures such as these, heart disease was relatively more common. There were more than 228 heart disease-related deaths per 100,000 residents in Alabama, the third highest rate nationwide and considerably higher than the national rate of less than 170 per 100,000 Americans. On Gallup’s index, state residents were less likely than most Americans to like and feel safe in the place they lived. Like other states faring poorly in the community element of well-being, many Alabama households lacked basic services. For example, only 63.5% of households had broadband Internet access, the third lowest proportion nationwide. In addition, there were 418 violent crimes reported per 100,000 people, far higher than the national rate of 367 crimes per 100,000 Americans.

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5. Mississippi
> Poverty rate: 24.0% (the highest)
> Unemployment rate: 8.6% (6th highest)
> Obesity rate: 35.1% (2nd highest)
> Poor mental health days (last 30 days): 4.3 (7th highest)

With the lowest income and highest poverty rate in the country, it is not surprising to find Mississippi in the bottom five states for well-being. Mississippi’s median household income of $37,963 in 2013 was nearly $15,000 less than the national median, and the state’s 24% poverty rate was much higher than the national rate of 16%. Still, despite being financially worse-off, residents did not turn to drinking. The Magnolia State had the fifth lowest binge drinking rate, with 12.4% of adults reporting having four or more alcoholic beverages on one occasion. Mississippians have the highest rate of premature death, with an estimated total of more than 10,000 years lost before age 75 per 100,000 residents. State residents were also not especially healthy. In 2013, Mississippi had the highest heart disease death rate, the lowest rate of physical activity among adults, as well as the lowest rate of adolescent immunization.

4. Ohio
> Poverty rate: 16.0% (21st highest)
> Unemployment rate: 7.4% (20th highest)
> Obesity rate: 30.4% (17th highest)
> Poor mental health days (last 30 days): 3.8 (21st highest)

Poor health and unhealthy habits among many Ohio residents were major contributors to the state’s low well-being. Nearly two in five adults reported getting insufficient sleep on a regular basis in 2013, one of the highest rates. Also, 23.4% of adults had a smoking habit in 2013, much higher than the 18.2% national smoking rate and one of the highest rates among states. While just 11% of state residents did not have health insurance in 2013 — a particularly low rate compared to the national rate and other states with low well-being — some medical services were severely lacking. Less than 62% of children aged 19 to 35 months had been vaccinated as of 2013, the third lowest proportion in the nation.

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3. Indiana
> Poverty rate: 15.9% (23rd highest)
> Unemployment rate: 7.5% (18th highest)
> Obesity rate: 31.8% (9th highest)
> Poor mental health days (last 30 days): 4.0 (11th highest)

Poor physical health and unhealthy habits were major factors contributing to Indiana’s low well-being. More than 27% of residents reported consuming less than one serving of vegetables daily, for example, and 31% reported no routine physical activity, both among the worst rates nationwide. The state also had an obesity rate of nearly 32% in 2013, the ninth highest rate in the country. Residents were also not especially well educated, with less than 24% having attained at least a bachelor’s degree, one of the lowest rates in the nation.

2. Kentucky
> Poverty rate: 18.8% (6th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 8.3% (7th highest)
> Obesity rate: 33.2% (5th highest)
> Poor mental health days (last 30 days): 4.5 (the highest)

Despite being the home of Kentucky bourbon, the Bluegrass State had the 10th lowest binge drinking rate in the country. Particularly poor health data support Kentucky’s status as the state with the second lowest well-being. Kentucky led the nation in 2012 in cancer deaths per 100,000 people and had the second highest percentage of people with high cholesterol. It also had the second highest percentage of smokers in 2013. The state had the second-highest percentage of adults getting insufficient sleep, defined as fewer than seven hours per night. Kentucky’s unemployment rate remained high and unchanged in 2013, at 8.3%. Also, the median household income was $43,399 in 2013, fifth lowest in the nation.

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1. West Virginia
> Poverty rate: 18.5% (10th highest)
> Unemployment rate: 6.5% (18th lowest)
> Obesity rate: 35.1% (tied–the highest)
> Poor mental health days (last 30 days): 4.4 (4th highest)

For the sixth consecutive year, West Virginia residents rated their well-being worse than residents of all other states. The state ranked dead last in two of the five elements of well-being identified by Gallup — the purpose and physical health categories. More than 35% of residents were considered obese in 2013, a higher rate than in all but one state. As in other states with high obesity rates, high cholesterol and high blood pressure were very common among residents, with 41% and 42.9% reporting such conditions respectively, both some of the highest rates nationwide. West Virginians also smoked cigarettes far more than most Americans, with more than 27% reporting the habit in 2013, the highest rate in the country. Like other unhappy states, West Virginia residents had relatively low educational attainment rates. Less than 19% had completed at least a bachelor’s degree as of 2013, the lowest rate in the nation. Residents were not especially wealthy. However, while a typical household earned $41,253 in 2013 — the third lowest median household income in the country — living in West Virginia was much more affordable than in the vast majority of states.

Click here to see the happiest states in America