Happy Placed to Live

[The Hedgehog]

A new study found that a person's self-reported happiness matches up with objective measures of state-level happiness.

The results are based on an examination of two data sets, one that included personal reports of happiness for 1.3 million Americans and the other that included objective measures, such as how crowded that state is, air quality, home prices and other factors known to impact quality of life.

Click here to learn more about the survey and what it means.

Here are the 50 U.S. states (and the District of Columbia) in order of their well-being:

1. Louisiana
2. Hawaii
3. Florida
4. Tennessee
5. Arizona
6. Mississippi
7. Montana
8. South Carolina
9. Alabama
10. Maine
11. Alaska
12. North Carolina
13. Wyoming
14. Idaho
15. South Dakota
16. Texas
17. Arkansas
18. Vermont
19. Georgia
20. Oklahoma
21. Colorado
22. Delaware
23. Utah
24. New Mexico
25. North Dakota
26. Minnesota
27. New Hampshire
28. Virginia
29. Wisconsin
30. Oregon
31. Iowa
32. Kansas
33. Nebraska
34. West Virginia
35. Kentucky
36. Washington
37. District of Columbia
38. Missouri
39. Nevada
40. Maryland
41. Pennsylvania
42. Rhode Island
43. Massachusetts
44. Ohio
45. Illinois
46. California
47. Indiana
48. Michigan
49. New Jersey
50. Connecticut
51. New York

[The Hedgehog]

Is it right? Who knows

I live in Tn and grew up in Bama. I think that they are both good places to live. I am loving Tn these days.

I lived in Ky for a while. When I moved there folks would ask me "why on earth did you move up here?" I did not think it was too bad but sad that folks felt that way. For the record I like Tn and Bama much better.

Nebraska is on down there. I am sorry NE folks but there is no way I would want to live there.

I would think that one indicator is how many folks leave the state when they retire. Most of the folks from Bama don't run to Florida when they retire.

I always think I would want a place in the mountains when I retire. Mountains with big lakes.

[Donzi Vol]

I guess we're pretty friggin happy, Hedge! I know I'm just tickled pink to live in TN.

[Just Say N20]

Hmmm.....

Michigan = 48.

Did better than I would have thought.

Must be because of Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Sinclair, and all the wonderful inland lakes.

Without all this wonderful water, we would have been 52.

[The Hedgehog]

I guess we're pretty friggin happy, Hedge! I know I'm just tickled pink to live in TN.

Yep!

I could also see different answers from different parts of states. I have a bunch of friends from upstate NY. They really like it. When I go to NYC, I can see the stress on peoples faces.

[Donzi Vol]

I always think I would want a place in the mountains when I retire. Mountains with big lakes.

I can see it now. The Hedge and Vol Marina! It's THE retirement plan. I even know who we could bring along as social chair :wink:

[The Hedgehog]

Hmmm.....
Michigan = 48.
Did better than I would have thought.
Must be because of Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Sinclair, and all the wonderful inland lakes.
Without all this wonderful water, we would have been 52.

Maybe the cold? I dunno but I kind of thought that Michigan had some neat things to offer. I could even get into the snowmobile thing. I could see the winters wearing on me though. I would not have thought 48.

[The Hedgehog]

I can see it now. The Hedge and Vol Marina! It's THE retirement plan. I even know who we could bring along as social chair :wink:

The Understudy called! I kind of see G-man as the Seargent at Arms.

[Phil S]

Born in Kentucky, residing in South Carolina....got here as fast as I could....

I'm torn.....

We used to joke that the reason West Virginia was called "Almost Heaven", was because it so close to Kentucky ! :)

I've been to Louisiana twice, and would go back in a heartbeat. Best food I've ever tasted !! You name it, jambalaya, seafood, shrimp & grits, (although Charleston-style Shrimp & Grits will give 'em a run for the money), then there's the music....jazz, zydeco....best there is...

....just not sure I'd be that happy living 2 to 3 feet below sea level. ? :crossfing:

Phil

[Ghost]

I think unemployment is entering into that list, as one would expect. I wonder what it would have looked like in 1998 or so.

[gcarter]

I'm really surprised Texas ranked 16th. Some of my fondest memories are of living there,
Probably, if it were three or four states, some of them would have ranked higher.
I enjoy living in Florida, I can be on either coast (Atlantic of Gulf) w/in 90 minutes and in the keys in 6 hours. Also two major airports (Orlando, Tampa) w/in 80 minutes. Also I live on a huge chain of lakes (Harris Chain) w/literally year round boating.......that's not completely true, boating really sucks in the Summer.
Unfortunately, a lot of other folks also like living here, a lot of them from the bottom 20 or so states.:boggled:

[Kirbyvv]

NY may be dead last, but I feel Lake George is a pretty "happy" place to live.

It's those city folk that are the unhappy ones.

[joseph m. hahnl]

I find it odd that Louisiana is number one with all the turmoil that was created from Katrina. I guess when you happy nothing gets you down:yes:



NH #27 we'd be #1 if it was from all the out of staters coming up here:uzi: Welcome to new hampshire now go home "live free or Die"



Just Kidding :yes:!!! All are bienvenu:kingme:

[Barry Eller]

I have lived in Gulf Breeze, Florida since 1961. My family moved here from North Carolina, I was 9 years of age. I left Gulf Breeze and lived in Orlando for a year and a half and was homesick everyday!

Here is a link to my little town. It is a "Bedroom" community for Pensacola. The opening page of Gulf Breeze website shows the peninsula, I live on the left, lower point on the north side. Not on the water, but accross the street.

http://www.cityofgulfbreeze.com/index.html

This area is not at all like the rest of the state, we have seasons and it is not as crowded.

Yep, I love my little town!

And we are only 3 hours from New Orleans... Go Saints!!!

[Last Tango]

I understand why Florida is so high on the list, what with Disney World and other related Orlando attractions advertising as "The Worlds Happiest Place." But I can also see why we would fall slightly away from Number One with the "drag" imposed by South Florida, primarily populated by New York and New Jersey snow birds and retirees getting away from those bottom-listed States, and further crowding by Caribbean immigrants.:pimp: (Hey! I live here! So I can say those things).
In the central part of Florida, not far from George, is a collection of retirement towns called "The Villages of (insert specific village name)". You wouldn't think they would be famous for much. But they have North America's highest incidence of Syphillus. Now THAT is a very happy place. LOL!:party:

[gcarter]

The Villages.....where the widows outnumber the widowers by 10 to 1 !!!:nilly:

[BUIZILLA]

rumor has it there are some VERY happy pool maintenace and tennis instructor boys in them neighborhood's... :shades:

so says my niece.. :yes:

[RPD]

Barry... DON'T tell anyone! Years (7 or 8?) ago I listed a bunch of Pensacola area attractions, restuarants, etc., and got my butt chewed by the other Donzi owners in town.... We DON'T want more people to move here

But, of course, all the registry members are welcome to come and we'll meet them at the beach for a run....

On another note.... notice it's the people that live in the lowest rankng states that go to DC and want to tell us how we can improve our lives!

[Cuda]

I understand why Florida is so high on the list, what with Disney World and other related Orlando attractions advertising as "The Worlds Happiest Place." But I can also see why we would fall slightly away from Number One with the "drag" imposed by South Florida, primarily populated by New York and New Jersey snow birds and retirees getting away from those bottom-listed States, and further crowding by Caribbean immigrants.:pimp: (Hey! I live here! So I can say those things).
In the central part of Florida, not far from George, is a collection of retirement towns called "The Villages of (insert specific village name)". You wouldn't think they would be famous for much. But they have North America's highest incidence of Syphillus. Now THAT is a very happy place. LOL!:party:
The Villages???????????????? I don't see that to be true. The highest usage of Viagra maybe.

Bell Glade is the state capital of AIDs.

[Bubba Dog]

North Carolina is truly a beautiful state and my home. Wide white sand beaches on the Outer Banks, Mt. Mitchell the highest peak east of the Mississippi, numerous large bodies of water, what's not to be happy about?
Here's a bit of state trivia for you; there is a barber shop on Hillsborough St. in Raleigh called the Man-Mur, been there since the 50's, it is half way between Murphy and Manteo, one end of the state to the other (545.58 miles).

I was born in Louisiana and although I'd like to gloat, I think the data is pre-Katrina.

[Barry Eller]

Barry... DON'T tell anyone! Years (7 or 8?) ago I listed a bunch of Pensacola area attractions, restuarants, etc., and got my butt chewed by the other Donzi owners in town.... We DON'T want more people to move here
But, of course, all the registry members are welcome to come and we'll meet them at the beach for a run....
On another note.... notice it's the people that live in the lowest rankng states that go to DC and want to tell us how we can improve our lives!
Sorry Bob, I'll TRY not to promote our area as much!:shades:

How does Peg Leg Pete's for dinner some Friday night this spring sound? I'm also a member of Pensacola Beach Elks Lodge, they have a great Sunday breakfast menu, and docks.

[RPD]

Barry .... Peg Legs is fine, I go there often by foot from our condo ... I usually run over to Hooters or Hemingways on the boat because I can anchor in knee deep water and keep an eye on it but I don't really like either of them ... prefer Flounders to H or H but can't watch the boat as well ... I sure miss Bushwackers since it blew away ....

[jeff8330]

i dunno, i live on the jersey shore and i wouldnt have it any other way. Ive been alot of places, including the keys (snowbird), but if i had to choose, even with the winter id be on the jersey shore :)

[Cuda]

Barry, when dad was in the Navy in Panama City, there was absolutely nothing between PC Beach and Ft Walton. There were only a couple of fishing boats in Destin. I used to go to Point Washington with my best friend, and go shrimping with a seine net, or tromp the woods with some fishing line and a hook. God did I love it.

[Barry Eller]

Barry, when dad was in the Navy in Panama City, there was absolutely nothing between PC Beach and Ft Walton. There were only a couple of fishing boats in Destin. I used to go to Point Washington with my best friend, and go shrimping with a seine net, or tromp the woods with some fishing line and a hook. God did I love it.

I'm sure you did. Destin Pass is still beautiful when the tide is right, rivals Bahamas water in color and clarity. I remember it as a fishing village also, my Dad's favorite restaurant in Destin was the Wharf. It was built on a dock out over the water, with the charter boats lined up beside it. That is where I discovered Scamp, my favorite fish!

[RPD]

I lived in Fort Walton Beach in the early to mid 50's .... some old folks still called it Camp Walton .... we used to go out to Destin to crab ... seemed like a long drive from FWB in those days, nothing but sand and radar stations all the way to Panama City ... then I worked in Destin in the late 60's.... built the jetties going out into the Gulf ... but since then it's just too too crowded .... had to go there about 3 years ago to give a talk on a Saturday morning... drove in on Friday night, took 45 minutes to go 2 miles through cars with Dekalb and Fulton county Ga tags .... people in Atlanta may not mind sitting in their cars at 3 mph average, but no thanks! ... but man it was beautiful 50 years ago!!!

[zelatore]

I question the accuracy of this survey.

I was born and raised in Indiana (although I spent a lot of time in Kentucky) but now live in California. I can say unequivocally that CA should score far more than just 1 better than IN.

But at least it shows me moving in the right direction! :wink:

[Ghost]

Quick math check.

The survey is not PER AMERICAN.

It is PER RESIDENT OF THAT STATE.

So, to understand, it is asking the guy who already lives on an ice floe voluntarily (or out of laziness) how he feels about living on an ice floe. It is NOT asking a random person how he feels about the prospect of living on an ice floe. So, in an ideal world, despite radically different places, all places could score the same, because people had migrated to the places that fit their wants.

FWIW.

That said, California sucks. <ducking> Purely gratuitous obnoxiousness for Don. :)

[gcarter]

Quick math check.

The survey is not PER AMERICAN.

It is PER RESIDENT OF THAT STATE.

So, to understand, it is asking the guy who already lives on an ice floe voluntarily (or out of laziness) how he feels about licing on an ice floe. It is NOT asking a random person how he feels about the prospect of living on an ice floe. So, in an ideal world, despite radically different places, all places could score the same, because people had migrated to the places that fit their wants.

FWIW.

That said, California sucks. <ducking> Purely gratuitous obnoxiousness for Don. :)

Keeping this in mind, and I think there's some truth to it.
It could be a sense of restrictions of life in a region, like taxes and regulations...I remember visiting California and overhearing a couple saying "Do you know where you can smoke in California?"
Answer; "Arizona!"
And, of course we've all heard about taxes there, just like in some of the other lower ranked states.
This combined w/either allusions or experience w/other regions where the weather is nicer, it's prettier, or fewer restrictions and regulations, combined w/lower taxes..prices..and cost of living.

[zelatore]

I think part of it is as Mike said - if you already live in place X and haven't lived in Y or Z, you probably think X is great. My brother is a good example of that. He's lived his whole life in Indiana and thinks it's just fine, thank you. He gets upset when I suggest he should at some point in his life live near a major city just to see what he's missed.

CA certainly has it's drawbacks. CARB, taxes, cost of living, etc.

The benefits of course are plentiful as well. We have some of the best scenery in the country. I can be in Yosemite in the morning and the coast that evening. Or I could be in the a really remote, isolated area where trees outnumber people 100 to 1, and on a beach in the sun the next. High desert? We got that. Snow capped mountains? We got that. Big cities with high culture? We got that. Small towns where everybody knows everybody else? We got that. Historic locations? We got that. Cutting edge technology? We got that.... I think you get the point - Not everybody may want to live here, but I bet everybody has wanted to visit at least some of the time.

That said, I don't know that I'll stay here forever. I happen to be fond of the PNW as well... one thing I do however doubt is that I'll move back to the middle of the country. All the interesting stuff seems to be around the edges. I even liked Maine, despite my best efforts not to like anything in the NE. :wink:

BTW, while I don't smoke and never have, I have an issue with the over the top anti-smoking laws. No smoking in bars? You're kidding, right? It's not like you go there for your freakin' health!

[Barry Eller]

No smoking in bars? You're kidding, right? It's not like you go there for your freakin' health!

LMAO!!! You're absolutely correct... I went to bars when I was younger and when I was between "Wives"...My health was of no concern either!!! Ah the days when Penicillin would cure anything!!!:pimp: The memories of Kevin's n' LaPlaya on Pensacola Beach...the tourist girls...The Tiki Bar...Dirty Joes...The Sandshaker...Oh my...

[86fxst]

NY may be dead last, but I feel Lake George is a pretty "happy" place to live.

It's those city folk that are the unhappy ones.

Possibly NYC could become a District independent from the state - everyone involved would be happier!:crossfing:

[zelatore]

Possibly NYC could become a District independent from the state - everyone involved would be happier!:crossfing:

How true that is. While your at it, there's Chicago, then there's the rest of Illinois. Probably should break them out too.

And out here on the west coast, we should probably break California into at least two states. Everything south of about Santa Rosa can stay California. But if you've ever been to the northern part of the state, it's a whole different place. There was once a movement to separate NorCal and southern Oregon off to form the state of Jefferson. Travel up there much and you'll understand why.
http://www.jeffersonstate.com/

[Cuda]

I lived in Fort Walton Beach in the early to mid 50's .... some old folks still called it Camp Walton .... we used to go out to Destin to crab ... seemed like a long drive from FWB in those days, nothing but sand and radar stations all the way to Panama City ... then I worked in Destin in the late 60's.... built the jetties going out into the Gulf ... but since then it's just too too crowded .... had to go there about 3 years ago to give a talk on a Saturday morning... drove in on Friday night, took 45 minutes to go 2 miles through cars with Dekalb and Fulton county Ga tags .... people in Atlanta may not mind sitting in their cars at 3 mph average, but no thanks! ... but man it was beautiful 50 years ago!!!
What was it like before electricity? :)

[Cuda]

I question the accuracy of this survey.
I was born and raised in Indiana (although I spent a lot of time in Kentucky) but now live in California. I can say unequivocally that CA should score far more than just 1 better than IN.
But at least it shows me moving in the right direction! :wink:
Indiana has two seasons: Winter, and mud. :(

[Cuda]

My best friend and I used to camp right on PC Beach. We'd find arrowheads, Indian pottery, and 50 caliber tracers. The area used to be a bombing range back then.

[zelatore]

Indiana has two seasons: Winter, and mud. :(

You forgot humidity season! I'd much rather have a summer here with near 100 degree days and 10-15% humidity than 85-90 degrees back there with the matching humidity.

Of course, that might also explain our habit of going up in flames every summer :shocking:

[Cuda]

You forgot humidity season! I'd much rather have a summer here with near 100 degree days and 10-15% humidity than 85-90 degrees back there with the matching humidity.
Of course, that might also explain our habit of going up in flames every summer :shocking:
Your information is faulty. I saw 100 degrees eight time one summer.

[Cuda]

You forgot humidity season! I'd much rather have a summer here with near 100 degree days and 10-15% humidity than 85-90 degrees back there with the matching humidity.
Of course, that might also explain our habit of going up in flames every summer :shocking:
Back when I drove through California in 1975, I didn't speak enough Spanish to tell people at a service station that I needed a battery. It's bad here with Spanish now days, but other than Miami, it's nowhere near as bad as I remember being in 1975 in California. Feel free to keep it.

[Cuda]

I'm sure you did. Destin Pass is still beautiful when the tide is right, rivals Bahamas water in color and clarity. I remember it as a fishing village also, my Dad's favorite restaurant in Destin was the Wharf. It was built on a dock out over the water, with the charter boats lined up beside it. That is where I discovered Scamp, my favorite fish!
If you check the fishing regs, scamp still isn't covered under the grouper rules. It's one of my favorites too, behind yellow tail snapper. :)

[Cuda]

Keeping this in mind, and I think there's some truth to it.
It could be a sense of restrictions of life in a region, like taxes and regulations...I remember visiting California and overhearing a couple saying "Do you know where you can smoke in California?"
Answer; "Arizona!"
And, of course we've all heard about taxes there, just like in some of the other lower ranked states.
This combined w/either allusions or experience w/other regions where the weather is nicer, it's prettier, or fewer restrictions and regulations, combined w/lower taxes..prices..and cost of living.
George, quit clouding the issues with facts. :)

[Walt. H.]

I grew up in B'klyn NY and understand it being the last place on the list to live which is the reason I left over 26 yr's ago and moved 2-1/2 hr's north to the upstate region of the Mid Hudson Valley area of NY, which I called Gods Country and I still do. Everything last so much longer from the people to our cars and boats then living in the NYC area.
The only thing that sucks is boating on the Hudson River because once you leave your basin or creek you either go north or you go south which becomes boring by the third and forth day, so i'm kindda glad that the boating season really last only about five months which gives me more time and pleasure to work and create improvements then to go no wheres in a hurry.