USA News – Raise a tropical drink to Hawaii, the state that’s consistently home to some of the healthiest, happiest Americans in the nation.
The beautiful islands once again grace the top of the Gallup-Healthways 2016 State Well-Being Rankings, released on Wednesday. It’s the sixth time in the nine-year existence of the report that the Aloha State has been at No. 1. Another separate recent study also awarded Hawaii the top spot.
“Hawaii has had a heck of a run,” Dan Witters, research director of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, told TODAY.
“They do a lot of things right there. They take good care of themselves. They do the blocking and tackling of physical wellness really well.”
It’s not just about being happy by living in a scenic, warm place. The report measures how Americans feel about their physical health, social connections, finances, community and sense of purpose.
Hawaii residents report low obesity rates and little daily stress. They regularly exercise, eat lots of produce and feel safe where they live. They’re also the best in the nation for having enough money to do everything they need to do.
The top five states for overall well-being are:
1. Hawaii
2. Alaska
3. South Dakota
4. Maine
5. Colorado
Hawaii and Colorado are the only two states that have been in the top 10 since the rankings began. South Dakota also consistently keeps returning to the top dozen.
“If you ask people randomly nationally where South Dakota might rank in well-being, it might not be very high, but people inside of the state really do a nice job taking care of themselves, especially with community well-being and with financial well-being,” Witters noted.
A. Pawlowski, TODAY
