2017 State Well-Being Rankings
The 2017 results from the Gallup-Sharecare (@SharecareInc) Well-Being Index (@WellBeing_Index), which was recently released, painted a bleak picture of the well-being of Americans. For the first time in the nearly 10-year history of the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index, zero states improved well-being by a statistically significant measure.
Out of a possible score of 100, the national Well-Being Index score dropped from 62.1 in 2016 to 61.5 in 2017, marking the largest year-over-year decline since the index began in 2008.
Which states topped the list?
- South Dakota claimed the top spot, with a well-being score of 64.1 out of 100 possible points.
- Vermont followed closely at number two, sharing a rounded score of 64.1 with South Dakota.
- Hawaii ranked third, with a score of 63.4, making it one of only two states that have ranked in the top 10 every year since Sharecare and Gallup began measuring well-being in 2008.
Despite the national downturn, the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index found improvement in several traditional measures of physical health in 2017, such as the proportion of Americans reporting participation in regular exercise, abstention from smoking and being overweight. Community well-being – defined as liking where you live, feeling safe and having pride in your community – also improved for Americans between 2016 and 2017.
Learn more and see where your state ranks by downloading the full report.
