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The 20 Most Content States In America May Surprise You
We're not exactly a country known for being content. America's terrible economy over the last six years has made things pretty difficult for the average citizen. Not surprisingly, unemployment and other economic uncertainties are also impacting our physical and emotional health. In an effort to measure these impacts, The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index uses a variety of metrics — everything from smoking rates to income demographics — to analyze the "well-being" of people in all 50 states. In states where well-being was high, people were more likely to report exercising every day and being non-smokers. Where it was low, more residents were obese or suffered from chronic health problems. All of this contributed to their contentment raking.
According to their data, the healthiest and happiest among us aren't living in New York City or Los Angeles. If you're stuck out in one of the flyover states, you might be better off than you think. Check out our list of the top 20 most content states in the U.S. to see where yours ranks.
#20: Kansas
Nickname: The Sunflower State
Last year’s rank: #17
#19: Arizona
Nickname: The Grand Canyon State
Last year’s rank: 23
#18: Maryland
Nickname: The Old Line State (or The Free State)
Last year’s rank: #11
#17: California
Nickname: The Golden State
Last year’s rank: #18
#16: Alaska
Nickname: The Last Frontier
Last year’s rank: #31
#15: Maine
Nickname: The Pine Tree State
Last year’s rank: #21
#14: Wisconsin
Nickname: The Badger State (or America’s Dairyland)
Last year’s rank: #20
#13: Massachusetts
Nickname: The Bay State
Last year’s rank: #10
#12: Utah
Nickname: The Beehive State
Last year’s rank: #4
#11: New Hampshire
Nickname: The Granite State
Last year’s rank: #8
#10: Iowa
Nickname: The Hawkeye State
Last year’s rank: #9
#9: Washington
Nickname: The Evergreen State
Last year’s rank: #15
#8: Hawaii
Nickname: The Aloha State
Last year’s rank: #1
#7: Colorado
Nickname: The Centennial State
Last year’s rank: #2
#6: Vermont
Nickname: The Green Mountain State
Last year’s rank: #5
#5: Montana
Nickname: The Treasure State
Last year’s rank: #6
#4: Minnesota
Nickname: The North Star State
Last year’s rank: #3
#3: Nebraska
Nickname: The Cornhusker State
Last year’s rank: #7
#2: South Dakota
Nickname: The Mount Rushmore State
Last year’s rank: #12
#1: North Dakota
Nickname: The Peace Garden State
Last year’s rank: #19
