State of Well Being Report 2010

[Purron]

The latest Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index measures your well being on these factors: life evaluation, emotional health, work environments, physical health, healthy behaviors and basic access.

Full City, State and Congressional District reports:
http://www.well-beingindex.com/files/2011PressKitFinal.pdf

Top 10 States
1. Hawaii
2. Wyoming
3. North Dakota
4. Alaska
5. Colorado
6. Minnesota
7. South Dakota
8. Utah
9. Connecticut
10. Nebraska


Top 10 Large Cities
1. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
2. Austin-Round Rock, TX
3. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
4. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
5. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
6. Minneapolis-St.Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
7. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH
8. San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA
9. Raleigh-Cary, NC
10. Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT

Top Mid-Size Cities
1. Boulder, CO
2. Lincoln, NE
3. Fort Collins-Loveland, CO
4. Provo-Orem, UT
5. Honolulu, HI
6. Madison, WI
7. Cedar Rapids, IA
8. Gainesville, FL
9. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwlk, CT
10. Peoria, IL

Top 10 Small Cities
1. Burlington-South Burlington, VT
2. Olympia, WA
3. Bellingham, WA
4. Bremerton-Silverdale, WA
5. Topeka, KS
6. Barnstable Town, MA
7. Charlottesville, VA
8. Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA
9. Medford, OR
10. Amarillo, TX

Top 10 Congressional Districts
1. California District 14
2. California District 36
3. Colorado District 2
4. Hawaii District 1
5. GeorgiaDistrict 6
6. VirginiaDistrict 8
7. Washington District 8
8. North Carolina District 4
9. Hawaii District 2
10. Minnesota District 2

 

[Janet H]

I live in one of the top 10 small cities. I feel MUCH better already

Odd that 4 of the top 10 small cities are in the WA...
I'm sure it was an error. WA is a terrible place to live - stay away.

 

[Gotadimple]

+1 Janet!

 

[REWahoo]

I'm sure it was an error. WA is a terrible place to live - stay away.

You are aware I get a royalty for using that statement, right?

Oh, and whoever put together the index obviously has a warped sense of humor. Amarillo, TX my @ss...

 

[Purron]

I live in one of the top 10 small cities. I feel MUCH better already

Odd that 4 of the top 10 small cities are in the WA...
I'm sure it was an error. WA is a terrible place to live - stay away.

Plus WA has a large city and Congressional District on the listings. Must be something special going on there!

 

[donheff]

#1 city. Glad I plan to stay put.

 

[HFWR]

Oh, and whoever put together the index obviously has a warped sense of humor. Amarillo, TX my @ss...

My thought exactly...

 

[Purron]

#1 city. Glad I plan to stay put.

Me too

 

[W2R]

Springfield, MO is #107, and New Orleans #108 out of 188 cities. Guess if one believes this study, it wouldn't have made much difference even if we HAD moved.

I can understand why New Orleans ranked low, with our food and other aspects of living here leading to a less than ideal lifestyle. Not sure why Springfield would have such a low rank in this study.

 

[Purron]

I'm glad Topeka, KS made the list. It's a really neat place. Of course, I'm fond of Kansas because of family. Many don't see the beauty this part of the country. It's a special place.

 

[W2R]

I'm glad Topeka, KS made the list. It's a really neat place. Of course, I'm fond of Kansas because of family. Many don't see the beauty this part of the country. It's a special place.

Other than the Kansas side of Kansas City, I have never been to Kansas. However, any state that is good enough for Dorothy must be a really special place.

 

[devans0]

My city made the list! Are things really that bad in all the other places?

and what's this about Washington DC being #1? Isn't that were we send our politicians to get them out of our areas?

 

[donheff]

and what's this about Washington DC being #1? Isn't that were we send our politicians to get them out of our areas?

Yes, and you will notice that they never leave

 

[kyounge1956]

(snip)Odd that 4 of the top 10 small cities are in the WA...
I'm sure it was an error. WA is a terrible place to live - stay away.

Plus WA has a large city and Congressional District on the listings. Must be something special going on there!

Naah, it's always raining. Here in WA you could go for years at a time without ever seeing the sun.

 

[Westernskies]

Yes, and you will notice that they never leave

birds of a feather flock together...

 

[youbet]

and what's this about Washington DC being #1? Isn't that were we send our politicians to get them out of our areas?

That's what we Illini do. Some stuck but one bounced back as mayor........

 

[pb4uski]

That's what we Illini do. Some stuck but one bounced back as mayor........

With any luck, you'll see another bounce back in January 2013.

 

[Walt34]

I'm happy to see DC as #1. They're welcome to it. Perhaps that will keep the hordes out of West Virginia.

 

[Nodak]

I'm glad that ND is the third rated state but find it interesting that we don't have enough people to appear in any of the other categories. The largest town, Fargo, is approximately 100,000 people and we only have one congressional district. Actually, I guess the entire population of the state (640,000) wouldn't make more than a small city. But, we have very little crime, a great economy (state has a budget surplus of $1 billion), and low unemployment. Lots of resources in the form of oil, coal, and wind. Also a good farm economy. The only problem is winter and, if I remember correctly, Charles Kurault once wrote "In North Dakota winter is a joke that keeps people together". All in all it is a great place to live.

 

[W2R]

I'm happy to see DC as #1. They're welcome to it. Perhaps that will keep the hordes out of West Virginia.

A year or two before I retired, I was verbally offered a tremendously interesting job at a higher GS level at my agency's HQ in the DC area. I was tempted just because the job sounded so fascinating, but then regained my sanity and didn't pursue it.

The cost of living in the DC area is absolutely gruesome, compared with the cost of living in New Orleans (or W. Virginia, I would assume). The locality pay difference wouldn't even begin to touch the discrepancy. Despite its many attractions I don't think DC is #1 at all, at least not in my opinion.

 

[donheff]

A year or two before I retired, I was verbally offered a tremendously interesting job at a higher GS level at my agency's HQ in the DC area. I was tempted just because the job sounded so fascinating, but then regained my sanity and didn't pursue it.

I always advise the reverse. There are lots of very bright people in agency field offices (I was one, and I am sure you were too ). But there is lots more room for promotion in DC and (in my opinion) a smaller proportion of bench talent than in the field. So a reasonably smart person can do very well at HQ. Coming just for the money is questionable as you note because of cost of living. But fascinating work plus money is a winning combination. Someone could simply LBYM while working at what they love and then ER to their hometown (or other low cost area) with a higher pension.

 

[W2R]

I always advise the reverse. There are lots of very bright people in agency field offices (I was one, and I am sure you were too ). But there is lots more room for promotion in DC and (in my opinion) a smaller proportion of bench talent than in the field. So a reasonably smart person can do very well at HQ. Coming just for the money is questionable as you note because of cost of living. But fascinating work plus money is a winning combination. Someone could simply LBYM while working at what they love and then ER to their hometown (or other low cost area) with a higher pension.

Of course "a reasonably smart person can do very well at HQ", especially if you are speaking of salary alone. This is especially true for young, up-and-coming federal employees (which I was not, a year or two before retiring).

Actually I like to think that I did very well in New Orleans. The person who was trying to recruit me pretty much expected my response since he had heard the same from other older scientists at my level before.

 

[Nords]

The only problem is winter and, if I remember correctly, Charles Kurault once wrote "In North Dakota winter is a joke that keeps people together". All in all it is a great place to live.

When our born-and-raised-in-Hawaii daughter was visiting Notre Dame, she asked the college-student tour guide how cold it got during the winter.

The guide, a sophomore, said "Oh, winters are such fun here. We all bond together like a big family and spend a lot of time in the dorms coming up with great activities. Why, in February we even have a Hawaii-themed beach party! There's so much to do in the student buildings, blah blah blah..."

During this paean to South Bend's winter wonderland, I eventually noticed that she hadn't coughed up a number yet. A few seats down, one of the other parents noted the same. Seeing our Hawaii t-shirts & shorts, he took pity on our ignorance and leaned over to announce sotto voce "20 below!" My spouse and I, raised in the northeast but having forgotten most of what we learned about winter, simultaneously winced & groaned in horror.

My daughter, politely listening to the sophomore's soliloquy, heard his remark and our reactions and looked down to ask "20 below what?" That pretty much stopped the sophomore's speech right there.

Later our daughter told us that she thought he meant 20 degrees below the temperature it was then, and 55 degrees didn't sound so bad to her.

Her well-being is much better in Houston...

 

[Purron]

Of course "a reasonably smart person can do very well at HQ", especially if you are speaking of salary alone. This is especially true for young, up-and-coming federal employees (which I was not, a year or two before retiring).

Actually I like to think that I did very well in New Orleans. The person who was trying to recruit me pretty much expected my response since he had heard the same from other older scientists at my level before.

I worked and HQ at my agency. Sure, there were advantages including promotion opportunities and being in on the big happenings. Even so, I often envied those in the field offices. It was a much more casual atmosphere without all the big wigs roaming around looking for ways to make people miserable.

 

[Westernskies]

That's what we Illini do. Some stuck but one bounced back as mayor........

...courtesy of the best judicial decison that money could buy.

Some things never change, and Chicago politics is certainly one of them.