New Well-Being Index Numbers: How Happy is Central Mass?
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
t's time to take stock of our happiness. How'd we do? Photo: JE Theriot, Creative Commons.
What contributes to Well-Being?
To calculate the index, Gallup completed interviews with 1,000 US adults, nationally, seven days a week (only excluding major holidays). Based on their response, individuals and communities receive an overall well-being composite score on each of six sub-indices including life evaluation, emotional health, physical health, healthy behavior, work environment, and basic access to necessities crucial to high well-being, including clean water, medicine, safe places to exercise, as well as access to doctors, health insurance, and enough money for food, shelter, and healthcare.
First, the state overall:
Massachusetts' new Well-Being Index score of 67.4 places us at #14 nationally (a drop of 3 spots from last year's ranking of #11), and ranks third among the 6 New England states. New Hampshire scored highest with a national ranking of #9, followed by Vermont at #12. Connecticut ranked #19, Maine at #25, and Rhode Island at #35.
On the survey's sub-measures, the Bay State scored numerous successes: we ranked #1 in basic access in the country, holding on to the top spot from last year. Massachusetts also ranked #14 nationwide for Physical Health (again, holding steady from 2010). In Life Evaluation and Healthy Behaviors, we took the #16 spot.
Worcester: Losing happiness
The survey also looks at the country's major metropolitan areas, and Worcester lost ground in the new poll, moving down from last year's #94 ranking to #123 in the country. Worcester did move up on several sub measures this year, particularly in Life Evaluation (from #161 to #102 nationwide), as well as Physical Health (from #113 to #82) and Emotional Health (from #121 to #96).
The happiest places
The happiest state this year was Hawaii, leading the nation with a Well-Being Index score of 70.2, scoring highest on emotional health (84.1) and healthy behaviors (68.9). Rounding out the list of the top ten states in well-being are North Dakota (70.0), Minnesota (69.2), Alaska (69.0), Utah (69.0), Colorado (68.4), Kansas (68.4), Nebraska (68.3), New Hampshire (68.2) and Montana (68.0).
Specifically, Alaska garnered the highest score for life evaluation (60.2), North Dakota led in work environment (54.3), Minnesota earned the top score for physical health (79.9) and Massachusetts was ranked first for basic access (86.6).
The unhappiest places
Southern and rust-belt states are among the nation's worst performing in well-being. The states with lowest Well-Being Index scores are West Virginia (62.3), Kentucky (63.3), Mississippi (63.4), Delaware (64.2), Ohio (64.5), Alabama (64.6), Arkansas (64.7), Missouri (64.8), Florida (64.9), Tennessee (65.0) and Nevada (65.0).
"Increased well-being is vital to improving the physical, emotional and financial health of Americans," said Daniel Witters, lead Well-Being Index researcher at Gallup. "It is an effective predictor of healthcare costs, job performance and productivity. These data can help identify needs and guide interventions to improve the well-being of the nation."
For more information on this year's rankings, go here.
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