Well-Being Index Rankings

Find out how your city, state
and congressional
district's Well-Being Index
ranks more »
 
 

Well-Being Sponsorship

Learn more about sponsoring Well-Being Index findings more »

 

Snapshot Findings

Home » Findings » Snapshot Findings

America's State of Well-Being is on the Rise

Well-Being Index scores show significant improvement during the first half of 2010. While the work environment index has continued to hover below 50 during the last ten months, all other domains have seen positive changes. Throughout the first half of 2010, we have seen a gradual upward trend in well-being at both national and state levels. The national composite score from January - June was 67.0, up from 65.9 in both 2008 and 2009. This positive change can be attributed primarily to Americans' improved life evaluation ratings.

Following a trend set in previous years, we see higher well-being reported in states in the West and Midwest, while southern states remain at the lower end of the well-being spectrum.

    
Well-Being Domains HighestLowest
Life Evaluation HawaiiWest Virginia
  64.939.4
Emotional Health HawaiiWest Virginia
  84.674.2
Work Environment NebraskaDelaware
  54.637.8
Physical Health HawaiiWest Virginia
  80.569.8
Healthy Behaviors VermontKentucky
  70.759.8
Basic Access MinnesotaMississippi
  86.376.7
January - June 2010
Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index


The state rankings listed below are a result of over 170,000 adult interviews, conducted in all 50 states (excluding the District of Columbia) between January - June 2010.

The Well-Being Index score for each state is an average of six domains, which individually measure Americans' life evaluation, emotional health, work environment, physical health, healthy behaviors and access to basic necessities. The Well-Being Index is calculated on a scale of 0-100 where a score of 100 represents ideal well-being. 1

The map below is color coded according to Well-Being Index scores: the darker the state is shaded, the higher its Well-Being Index score. Explore the map or table below for more information on Well-Being Index scores by state.

 
 
    
Well-Being Index Scores, by State
  January-June 2010Number of Interviews in 2010
NATION 67.0176,193
Hawaii 72.3494
Alaska 69.6656
North Dakota 69.6480
Nebraska 69.41,175
Colorado 68.63,451
Wyoming 68.5490
Minnesota 68.43,612
Washington 68.44,838
Vermont 68.2619
Maryland 68.13,410
Massachusetts 68.13,652
Utah 68.11,763
Iowa 68.02,177
New Hampshire 68.01,013
Connecticut 67.51,952
Idaho 67.41,182
Montana 67.41,022
Wisconsin 67.43,951
Kansas 67.21,825
New Mexico 67.21,335
Oregon 67.23,004
Illinois 67.16,040
Virginia 67.15,201
California 67.017,976
Maine 66.81,154
Texas 66.810,992
Arizona 66.73,803
New Jersey 66.74,447
Missouri 66.23,821
Georgia 66.14,786
Oklahoma 66.12,654
Pennsylvania 66.19,104
South Dakota 66.1526
New York 66.09,165
South Carolina 65.92,631
Rhode Island 65.8653
Louisiana 65.62,451
North Carolina 65.66,074
Indiana 65.54,020
Florida 65.49,720
Tennessee 65.34,120
Nevada 65.21,509
Michigan 65.05,163
Ohio 65.06,597
Delaware 64.5586
Alabama 64.32,971
Arkansas 63.81,857
Kentucky 63.12,947
Mississippi 63.01,622
West Virginia 62.11,502
 
Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index


(1) Elizabeth Mendes, Hawaii Leads in Wellbeing; West Virginia Ranks Last, http://www.gallup.com/poll/141539/Hawaii-Leads-Wellbeing-West-Virginia-Ranks-Last.aspx (July 23, 2010).