Top 10 Most Content Cities in America
The 24/7 Wall St. has released the top 10 most content cities and the top 10 most miserable cities in America.
See: Top 10 Most Miserable Cities in America
24/7 Wall St. reviewed all metropolitan areas assessed by the Gallup-Healthways 2012 Well-Being Index. This index calculates well-being for the United States, as well as for states, metropolitan areas and occupations. Scores range from 0 to 100, with 100 representing ideal well-being. The index is composed of six sub-indices that measure access to basic needs, healthy behavior, work environment, physical health, life evaluation and emotional health. 24/7 Wall St. also considered income, poverty and educational attainment figures from the U.S. Census Bureau, all from 2011. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the local unemployment rates as of January 2013 were reviewed. Violent crime rates for 2011 by state from the FBI Uniform Crime Report Program were also considered.
10. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, Calif.
> Well-being index score: 71.2
> Obesity: 18.1%
> Median household income: $54,195
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 89.6%
Residents of the San Luis Obispo area reported among the highest scores for emotional health. Those surveyed were the least likely to report that they were angry or depressed within the past day. Residents received high marks for practicing healthy behavior as well, with more than 91% claiming they did not smoke. Additionally, around San Luis Obispo the unemployment rate was only 7.5%, which is lower than more than two-thirds of metro areas. Employees largely enjoyed their work environments, and they were the most likely residents of any metro area to claim they felt treated like partners by their supervisors. One of the largest employers in the region is Cal Polytec.
9. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va
> Well-being index score: 71.3
> Obesity: 21.7%
> Median household income: $86,680
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 90.4%
With a population of nearly 5.5 million, the Washington, D.C., area is by far the largest metropolitan area with the highest well-being. Residents were among the most likely to report high satisfaction for their current lives and how they expected their lives to be in five years. Because the federal government and accompanying interest groups and lobbyists operate there, the area is home to many highly skilled and well-paid workers. The Washington metro area had the highest median income in the nation in 2011, at $86,680.
8. Ann Arbor, Mich.
> Well-being index score: 71.4
> Obesity: 25.8%
> Median household income: $56,612
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 94.2%
Residents of Ann Arbor had higher self-evaluations of their lives than any other major metro area in the country. More than two-thirds of the city’s residents were described by Gallup as “thriving” — the highest proportion of any metro area in the nation. The city also scored well for access to basic needs. Ann Arbor residents were among the least likely to say they struggled to afford food or shelter, and among the most likely to say they had health insurance. Ann Arbor is home to the University of Michigan, the area’s largest employer. Pay for the average full professor employed year-round at the school is more than $205,000 for the 2012-2013 fiscal year.
7. Honolulu, Hawaii
> Well-being index score: 71.5
> Obesity: 24.3%
> Median household income: $66,146
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 90.6%
More than 91% of area residents surveyed by Gallup had health insurance, among the highest proportions in the nation. Contributing to this is the Hawaii Prepaid Health Care Act, enacted in 1974, which requires most employers to provide coverage to regular, non-minimum wage workers. But having to offer coverage has not stopped employers in the area from hiring. The area’s unemployment rate was among the nation’s lowest, at 4.8% in January. Honolulu residents topped the nation for emotional health, and they were among the most likely Americans to say they felt respected and stress-free in the past day.
6. Barnstable Town, Mass.
> Well-being index score: 71.5
> Obesity: 18.5%
> Median household income: $56,699
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 94.6%
The Barnstable Town metro area includes the entirety of Cape Cod, a popular travel and vacation destination. It has high scores for well-being, in part due to residents’ opinions of their jobs. According to Gallup, the area received the second highest overall score for the quality of its work environments, with those surveyed especially likely to say they used their strengths at work. In addition, residents were likely to practice healthy behavior by exercising regularly and eating a proper diet of fruits and vegetables.
5. Fort Collins-Loveland, Colo.
> Well-being index score: 71.6
> Obesity: 16.5%
> Median household income: $55,219
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 94.5%
As many as 94.1% of Fort Collins respondents said they were satisfied with their city, tied for the highest in the nation. Those surveyed also rated their work environments well, with residents evaluating their workplace fifth best out of the 189 metro areas surveyed. Many people in the area work for Colorado State University, the largest employer in the city of Fort Collins. The area also ranked as one of the nation’s most well-educated. More than 94% of residents earned at least a high school diploma, and 42.8% had at least a bachelor’s degree.
4. Provo-Orem, Utah
> Well-being index score: 71.7
> Obesity: 19.6%
> Median household income: $58,398
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 92.9%
Provo is home to Brigham Young University, one of the largest private, not-for-profit universities in the country. The university was also the area’s largest employer as of 2012, according to the Economic Development Corporation of Utah, and one of the largest in the state. Important to their well-being, Provo-Orem residents were among the most likely to enjoy where they worked. Residents also were likely to report that they had learned something new and were happy within the past day. As many as 77% of those surveyed noted their city was getting better, versus just 59.1% of respondents nationwide.
3. Burlington-South Burlington, Vt.
> Well-being index score: 72.4
> Obesity: 18.7%
> Median household income: $60,771
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 93.7%
At 95.9%, more Burlington residents reported health insurance coverage than any other area in the country. Residents also were rated second healthiest among the 189 metro areas, according to Gallup’s physical health index. Like most of the cities with the highest well-being, higher education plays a larger part in the local economy; the University of Vermont is one the area’s largest employers.
2. Boulder, Colo.
> Well-being index score: 72.7
> Obesity: 12.5%
> Median household income: $68,637
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 93.7%
Boulder residents were among the nation’s best at practicing healthy behaviors. They were among the least likely respondents to smoke and among the most likely to eat healthy all day. Likely because of this, residents scored well for physical health as well. In Boulder, 85.6% of residents had no health problems preventing them from age-appropriate activities — the third highest rate in the nation. Every year the city hosts BolderBoulder, a 10K race that had more than 50,000 participants in 2012.
1. Lincoln, Neb.
> Well-being index score: 72.8
> Obesity: 25.8%
> Median household income: $49,315
> Adult population with high school diploma or higher: 93.7%
Lincoln is the top ranked metro area in the nation on Gallup’s well-being index. As of January, 4.2% of all workers in the area were unemployed, less than all but three other metropolitan areas. Residents were also the most likely Americans nationwide to enjoy their work environment. More than 94% of survey respondents were satisfied with their job and work, almost 68% felt treated like a partner at work and nearly 86% felt they worked in a trusting environment — all among the highest figures in the country. Nearly 76% of those surveyed believe the city is becoming a better place, the fourth highest rate in the nation.