Community Corner

Marylanders: Not Too Crabby

A study looking at well-being in the United States shows Marylanders are pretty pleased with themselves, thankyouverymuch.

By Brandie Jefferson

It took five years and nearly 2 million surveys to determine that people in the Maryland area are … well … pretty happy.

According to the 2012 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, Maryland just misses the top 10, coming in at 11 in a ranking of happiness throughout the 50 states.

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Unlike other studies, which take into account objective measures such as education, lifespan, and lack of disease, the Well-Being Index based its rankings on the World Health Organization’s definition of health: “… Not only the absence of infirmity and disease, but also a state of physical, mental and social well-being.”

Although the state didn’t make the top 10, Maryland really shined when it came to “Life Evaluation.” This category asked residents how they’re doing now and how they expect to be doing five years from now. Residents rated their lives as “thriving,” “struggling,” or “suffering.”

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In that category, Maryland came in second only to Hawaii, which – does it even need to be said? – had the highest overall ranking of the 50 states.

And the saddest state in all the country? West Virginia—which, according to its official homepage, counts tourism as its leading industry. Sounds like fun?

When it comes to life in the big city/sprawling suburbs, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metropolitan region came in an impressive ninth in a survey of 152 metropolitan areas around the country.

At No. 1 was Lincoln, NE, home of the world’s largest displayed woolly mammoth skeleton and the International Quilt Study Center and Museum.   

The least happy metropolitan dwellers, according to the study, live in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario region of California, also known as the Inland Empire, about 40 miles east of Los Angeles. Doesn't look too bad from here.

In addition to life evaluation, other measures of well-being included emotional health, physical health, healthy behaviors, work environment and basic access to "necessities of well-being," including fresh fruits and veggies, affordable healthcare and feeling safe walking alone at night.

Download the full report here and take a look at methodology (what exactly is the difference between struggling and suffering?) here.


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