Communities with friendly families, tropical paradises or lost of outdoor recreation seem to be among the top requirements for a region to add to the wellness of its inhabitants. 

 

Utah got high marks for its wide offer of outdoor recreation. Hawaii was second in that category and Wyoming was third. The poll focused on variables such as mental, physical and economic health.

 

Overall, the states in the West scored the higher marks, while the states in the South got the lowest. As expected, the happiest congressional districts were also among the wealthiest, while at the opposite end the poorer districts scored the lowest marks. 

 

People in wealthier districts tend to be more optimistic then the inhabitants of the poor districts. When asked where they see themselves in five years from now, wealthier people saw themselves higher than in the present, unlike the poorer people. 

 

The survey involved approximately 350,000 interviews and focused on a variety of factors such as eating and exercise habits, work environment, access to basic necessities, job satisfaction, public safety, and many others. 

 

The survey involved 42 questions and the maximum score was of 100 points. There weren’t very big differences between states at the average score. Utah is on first place with 69.2 points, while West Virginia was last with 61.2 points. However, one thing is certain: all the states have work to do in order to improve the wellness of their residents. 

 

The survey was carried out by Gallup, Healthways and America's Health Insurance Plans.

 

If you want to find out how your state ranks, visit http://www.ahiphiwire.org/wellbeing.