For the seventh time ever, 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.
Louisiana has a total index score of 61. The state received its best rank for purpose, snagging the No. 25 spot. It’s ranked No. 30 in the social category, No. 41 for physical well-being, and No. 42 in the community ranking. Louisiana’s lowest rank is in the financial category—No. 48 out of 50 states.
Hawaii is No. 1 on the index’s ranking with a score of 65.2.
The Well-Being Index is calculated on a scale of 0, the lowest score, to 100, the highest.
See the full Gallup and Healthways report, titled State of American Well-Being: 2016 State Well-Being Rankings.
