State of American Well-Being

2017 Community Well-Being Rankings

From Gallup-Sharecare, March, 2018

This report, part of the Gallup-Sharecare State of American Well-Being series, examines well-being across the nation, with 186 communities ranked based on their Well-Being Index scores. The report analyzes how well-being varies by community and across the five elements of well-being:

• Purpose: liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve your goals

• Social: having supportive relationships and love in your life

• Financial: managing your economic life to reduce stress and increase security

• Community: liking where you live, feeling safe, and having pride in your community

• Physical: having good health and enough energy to get things done daily

The data and insights from this report can be used as a call to action for communities around the country, leveraging it to benchmark and identify opportunities for well-being improvement.

Overall, 2017 was a challenging year for Americans’ well-being. The national Well-Being Index score for the U.S. in 2017 was 61.5 – a decline from 62.1 in 2016. This overall drop was characterized by declines in 21 states, easily the largest year-over-year decline in the 10-year history of the Well-Being Index. Not a single state showed statistically significant improvement compared to the previous year, which is also unprecedented in Well-Being Index measurement.

With the exception of community well-being, all of the national well-being elements suffered declines in 2017. Two key elements of well-being – social and purpose – declined particularly sharply.

However, traditional metrics of physical health, such as exercise (30+ minutes at least three days each week) and smoking, continued to improve, reaching their highest levels in 10 years of Well-Being Index measurement.

High and Low Well-Being Scores in U.S. Communities, 2016-2017

For the third consecutive period, Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, Florida, had the highest overall well-being in the nation in 2016-2017 with a score of 67.6. It is the first time in 10 years of annual Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index reporting that the same community topped the rankings three times in a row. Barnstable Town, Massachusetts, was number two followed by Boulder, Colorado; Santa Cruz-Watsonville, California; and Charlottesville, Virginia. All five of the top communities in 2016-2017 have frequented the top 10 highest well-being lists in the past.

Likewise, a number of other 2016-2017 top well-being communities have typically ranked among the highest since 2008, including Lynchburg, Virginia; North Port-SarasotaBradenton, Florida; San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, California; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Fort Collins, Colorado; and Urban Honolulu, Hawaii. …

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2016/2017 Community Rankings, Highest Quintile

Urban Honolulu, HI

• 18 –2016/17 Rank
• 63.9 -- Well-Being Index Score
• 11 -- Purpose Rank
• 95 --  Social Rank
• 12 -- Financial Rank
• 24 -- Community Rank
• 30 -- Physical Rank

Related: Gallup-Sharecare: Hawaii Ranks 3rd in Well-Being