For the seventh time since 2008, Louisiana ranks among the bottom 10 states in the latest edition of the State of American Well-Being Index from Gallup and Healthways, which measures how people feel about their daily lives based on more than 177,000 interviews with U.S. adults.
The state slipped to No. 43 this year, down from the No. 42 spot in last year’s ranking. The index measures five specific elements of well-being: purpose (liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve goals); social (having supportive relationships and love in your life); financial (ability to manage your economic life to reduce stress and increase security); community (liking where you live and feeling safe); and physical (having good health).
“Well-being in the U.S. continues to exhibit regional patterns with the Northern Plains, Mountain West and some Atlantic states generally reporting higher levels, while states in the South and Midwest consistently lag in key elements,” the report says, adding that Florida bucked the trend by ranking among the top 12 states for the second year in the row.
