A new ranking of Americans’ financial well-being in each state shows Louisianans are among the least financially secure in the nation.
Overall, Louisiana is ranked No. 47 in the report, released this morning by Gallup-Healthways, but the state’s showing in several categories that make up the overall ranking are even worse. The Bayou State is ranked No. 48 when it comes to residents having enough money to buy food and No. 49 for their ability to pay for health care. Louisiana’s highest category ranking, at No. 33, is for residents’ satisfaction of their standard of living compared to the people they most spend time with.
“Financial well-being is lowest in Mississippi, which ranked 50th in the country. The South dominates the list of ten states with the lowest financial well-being, with Tennessee, Georgia, Louisiana and Kentucky rounding out the lowest five states,” reads the report.
The results are based on surveys that Gallup and Healthways conducted with more than 176,700 Americans between January and December of last year.
Across the United States, the report shows that fewer than two out of five Americans—39%—are thriving in financial well-being. Thriving does not necessarily mean that people feel like they’re earning enough money, but rather how well they feel they’re managing their economic life to reduce stress and increase security, Gallup-Healthways says.
That’s important, the groups say, because financial well-being is closely tied to health outcomes.
“Those people thriving in financial well-being are less likely than those suffering or struggling to be depressed, be obese or have high blood pressure,” the report reads. “They’re also more likely to engage in healthy behaviors such as eating fresh produce, exercising and not smoking.”
Hawaii ranks highest for financial well-being, followed by Alaska, North Dakota, Wyoming and South Dakota.
