Which State in the US is Considered the Happiest?
Big surprise, right? Hawaii. That last minute addition to the union in 1959 was a good call after all, as Hawaii has won “happiest state” for the third year in a row in a national poll of happiness in US states. Once again, sun, surf, and swaying palm trees, for some reason, make people feel whole and complete.
Data was gathered via a telephone survey of more than 350,000 adults. The questions posed concentrated on emotional health, work environment, basic access to health care, a doctor, a safe place to exercise and walk, community satisfaction, and self-evaluation for the present and five years down the road.
Who came in after Hawaii? In an interesting trend (and a consistent one over the past four years) Western and Midwestern states did well on the happiness index, taking up nine spots on the top 10 happiest states list. Another interesting note: Southern states account for half of the bottom 10 states with regard to happiness.
Happiest states (out of a possible score of 100) follow: Hawaii with 70.2, North Dakota with 70.0, Minnesota at 69.2, Utah at 69.0, and Alaska at 69.0.
Unhappiest states clock-in as follows: West Virginia with 62.3, Kentucky with 63.3, Mississippi with 63.4, Delaware with 64.2, and Ohio with 64.5.
Well, I’m convinced. Time to relocate. I’ve never been very good at anything other than writing (and even that is kind of spotty) but I’m sure I could learn to play a ukelele.
Who wants to move with me?
