Sunday, January 16, 2011

The 20 Happiest, Healthiest Cities In America

Happy and healthy employees contribute largely to a business' success. As CEO, you may not have complete control over the atmosphere of the office. In fact, how many endorphins your employees have may depend on where the office is located.

The Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index uncovered the cities where people are overall the happiest and healthiest


The poll surveyed more than 300,000 Americans, asking questions about their jobs, finances, physical health, emotional state of mind, and communities.

Most of the happiest cities are out West and many of the unhappiest are in the South. Wealthier communities had a tendency to score higher while many of the bottom ten are in troubled economic areas.

Here's how each city's index was determined:

Work experience: an index measuring participants' perception on their work experience including job satisfaction, treatment, and office environment and interactions.

Physical health: an index measuring the participants' sick days, obesity, rest, health problems, energy, flu, colds, and headaches.

Emotional health: an index measuring the participants' daily experiences of smiling, happiness, laughing, sadness, anger, stress, and worry.

Life evaluation: a self-evaluation of one's current personal well being and expected personal well being in five years. Participants rated each on a zero to ten scale.

Healthy behavior: an index measuring lifestyle habits such as smoking, exercise frequency, diet, and consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Basic access: an index measuring access to necessities such as medicine, affordable healthy food, doctors, health insurance, and safety.

#20 San Francisco, Calif.


Work experience: 81

Physical health: 28

Emotional health: 79

Healthy behavior: 13

Basic access: 38

Source: Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. Low numbers are good.


#19 Lexington, KY


Work experience: 6

Physical health: 92

Emotional health: 47

Healthy behavior: 113

Basic access: 44

Source: Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. Low numbers are good.


#18 Norwich, Conn.


Work experience: 77

Physical health: 70

Emotional health: 18

Healthy behavior: 31

Basic access: 11

Source: Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. Low numbers are good.


#17 Lancaster, Pa.


Work experience: 23

Physical health: 24

Emotional health:10

Healthy behavior: 38

Basic access: 6

Source: Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. Low numbers are good.


#16 Minneapolis, Minn.


Work experience: 45

Physical health:11

Emotional health:11

Healthy behavior: 70

Basic access: 5

Source: Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. Low numbers are good.


#15 Raleigh, NC


Work experience: 12

Physical health: 13

Emotional health: 23

Healthy behavior: 68

Basic access: 18

Source: Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. Low numbers are good.


#14 Santa Cruz, Calif.


Work experience: 56

Physical health: 30

Emotional health: 50

Healthy behavior: 1

Basic access: 73

Source: Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. Low numbers are good.


#13 Killeen, Tex.


Work experience: 75

Physical health: 74

Emotional health: 8

Healthy behavior: 72

Basic access: 54

Source: Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. Low numbers are good.


#12 Cedar Rapids, Iowa


Work experience: 124

Physical health: 5

Emotional health: 1

Healthy behavior: 35

Basic access: 4

Source: Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. Low numbers are good.


#11 Naples, Fla.


Work experience: 135

Physical health: 2

Emotional health: 9

Healthy behavior: 2

Basic access: 84

Source: Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. Low numbers are good.


#10 Oxnard, Calif.


Work experience: 5

Physical health: 36

Emotional health: 85

Healthy behavior: 14

Basic access: 36

Source: Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. Low numbers are good


#9 Ogden, Utah


Work experience: 7

Physical health: 73

Emotional health: 126

Healthy behavior: 46

Basic access: 14

Source: Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. Low numbers are good.


#8 Washington, D.C. Metro Area


Work experience: 91

Physical health: 12

Emotional health: 15

Healthy behavior: 40

Basic access: 24

Source: Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. Low numbers are good.


#7 San Jose, Calif.


Work experience: 14

Physical health: 8

Emotional health: 51

Healthy behavior: 10

Basic access: 27

Source: Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. Low numbers are good.


#6 Santa Barbara, Calif.


Work experience: 19

Physical health: 16

Emotional health: 48

Healthy behavior: 3

Basic access: 86

Source: Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. Low numbers are good.


#5 Santa Rosa, Calif.


Work experience: 16

Physical health: 32

Emotional health: 33

Healthy behavior: 5

Basic access: 48

Source: Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. Low numbers are good


#4 Provo, Utah


Work experience: 49

Physical health: 4

Emotional health: 5

Healthy behavior: 37

Basic access: 12

Source: Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. Low numbers are good.


#3 Honolulu, Hawaii


Work experience: 36

Physical health: 3

Emotional health: 2

Healthy behavior: 8

Basic access: 8

Source: Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. Low numbers are good


#2 Holland, Mich.


Work experience: 31

Physical health: 1

Emotional health: 3

Healthy behavior: 50

Basic access: 1

Source: Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. Low numbers are good.


#1 Boulder, Colo.


Work experience: 1

Physical health: 7

Emotional health: 27

Healthy behavior: 4

Basic access: 10

Source: Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index. Low numbers are good.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/best-places-for-a-happy-office-2010-12#1-boulder-colo-21#ixzz1BFhEJmrZ




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