Vermont received the highest score for physical well-being, meaning more of its residents reported good health and stamina compared to other states, according to 2017 state rankings from the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index released Tuesday.
Based on surveys of more than 160,000 adults, the index examined well-being across the U.S. Specifically, it looked at five well-being components — purpose, social, financial, community and physical — and ranked states based on a scale of 0 (lowest possible well-being) to 100 (highest possible well-being).
The U.S. well-being score, taking into account all five components, was 61.5 in 2017 compared to 62.1 the year prior. South Dakota received the highest overall well-being score (64.10), while West Virginia received the lowest (58.80).
Measures of the physical well-being included participation in regular exercise, obesity levels and smoking status. Here are the five states that topped the list for physical well-being, from highest to lowest.
- Vermont
- Colorado
- California
- Massachusetts
- Connecticut
Here are the five states with the bottom scores for physical well-being, from highest to lowest.
- Mississippi
- Oklahoma
- Kentucky
- Arkansas
- West Virginia
Access the full index results here.
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