Yahoo has an article about a new study revealing the happiest states in the country. Are they warm? Are they cold? What’s the secret?
Ever wondered if you’d be happier in sunny Florida or snow-covered Minnesota? New research on state-level happiness could answer that question.
Florida and two other sunshine states made it to the Top 5, while Minnesota doesn’t show up until number 26 on the list of happiest states. In addition to rating the smile factor of U.S. states, the research also proved for the first time that a person’s self-reported happiness matches up with objective measures of well-being.
Essentially, if an individual says they’re happy, they are.
Lets list the top 10 and see if there is anything in common:
The happiest states:
1. Louisiana
2. Hawaii
3. Florida
4. Tennessee
5. Arizona
6. Mississippi
7. Montana
8. South Carolina
9. Alabama
10. Maine
Gee, six are in the south and the case could be made that seven are hardcore red-states. One doesn’t need a masters degree in the obvious to figure that out, but Yahoo leaves it un-noted.
Go back to your coastal cubicles, Yahooligans, content that Google lets you breathe the air and collect a pay check for yet another day.
Here’s the bottom 10:
40. Maryland
41. Pennsylvania
42. Rhode Island
43. Massachusetts
44. Ohio
45. Illinois
46. California
47. Indiana
48. Michigan
49. New Jersey
50. Connecticut
51. New York
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Take that New York!
What about the other six states? Sorry, someone had to say it. Plus it’s late and I’m exhausted from reffing three basketball games in three hours (not complaining, but some days it’s the years and the miles).
51?
DC?
I bet Austin screwed up our “happy” rating. Those hippies aren’t ever happy with anything.
High taxes,anyone?
Scott and I are both happy Tennesseans so this poll gets my thumbs up.
And I assume Nevada is stuck in “sucksland?”
Yeah,and we’ll have Veruckt in the TN legislature soon..
I appreciate your optimism Scott. Surprisingly (at least to me) there are quite a few people taking interest in my getting elected including a current elected GOP official, not sure if he will just work behind the scenes so as not to upset the party or if he will openly endorse me, and the former chairman of the Williamson County GOP who is openly working on my campaign.
Kit must be happy too
I am leaping for joy.
I am Ted from 23 to 33.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_va9TDulDg
Is Kit a Tennessean?
Alabama!
Scott you just reminded me of one of my favorite jokes that I use when doing training classes in Alabama.
Q: What is the only good thing to come out of Alabama?
A: I-65
Veruckt,
You are a dead man, ya hairless freak.
I think this list proves two old adages: “Ignorance is bliss.” and “money can’t buy you happiness.” The majority of the states in the top ten are some of the poorest in the nation. They are the least educated with high drop-out rates. They have the poorest health statistics, including lifestyle and lack of access to healthcare. Probably have the most Wal-marts per capita. I remember Memphis was voted worse city to live in a couple of years ago based on a variety of factors: education, crime, jobs, etc. Not surprising. But, they go to church more often than the bottom ten. Give more to charities percentage-wise than wealthy states.
Karen…I’m not sure how I should feel about that. The most Wal-Marts part is perfectly explainable because Wal-Mart was created in Arkansas but I see your point.
I would like to point out though that the stats ripping on the south always come from East or West coast institutions so I question their honesty. Though Memphis is a horrible place…sorry Scott.
Veruckt – Ya, I went to college in AR and grew up in TN. I know all about the cult of Wal-mart. This explains a lot too…People of Wal-mart
The thing about Minnesotans is that we *think* we’re happy. You see the yard signs all over the Twin Cities–”Happy to pay for a better Minnesota!” Which translates to, “I want even higher taxes, and will always vote Democrat, even if they send me to a labor camp.”
Similar sentiments, usually unspoken: “Happy to reduce carbon footprint for a colder Minnesota!”
“Happy to ban DDT for a more mosquito-friendly Minnesota!”
“Happy to boil water for more humid Minnesota summers!”
And, of course, “Thank you sir! May I have another?”
Don’t be sorry,V…then again,the Nashville Predators are the only NHL team where the players have more teeth than the fans!
Nice one Scott. You know try as I might I can’t get into hockey. Early in the football season there was a joke floating around along the lines of:
Q: What is the difference between the Titans and a married man?
A: Even a married man can score every once and a while.
There were approximately 50 variations on this joke but that was the most popular.
Especially if he’s Tiger Woods
Which states are 52 through 57?
California deserves to be lower. Craptacular state with jammed freeways. Takes away from the views. I suspect the state is bankrupt, has been, and the idiots in Sacramento are just trying to figure out the best way to break the news.
Is it just me or are all of the unhappy states blue states?
Ohio and Indiana are more purplish (Indiana was red until the last election). So you got a point.
Arizona is rapidly going blue thanks to all the fleeing Californians.
Funny how that works. Ruin one state, walk off and ruin another. Guess they didn’t pack mirrors.
They did it to Colorado from what I understand, too, or are at least trying their damnedest. Ditto Nevada, right fritz?
Sadly, liberalism is like cancer. It metastasizes. Perhaps some amputations are in order.
Yes, Eric! Read my comment above.
Living in Maryland and having been born in NY and lived in California, I approve of this message.
On the original list Dubai was one of the happiest of the 57 states till just recently when Kuwait had to give them a bailout. Probably funneled through the Whitehouse from our TARP money!
It seems funny that your take is to immediately jump onto Yahoo for not politicizing their results to note “red” states. But I do see something in common here. A quick look can also reveal that 8 of those ten “happy” states earned some of the lowest rankings in education (so you could also say they’re stupid), while 6 of the ten “not-as-happy” states earned some of the highest rankings in education (so you could say they are smart). “Red” state = happy, warm & dumb. “Blue” state = not-as-happy, cold & smart.
Barry…I learned a long time ago that a “good” formal education does not an intelligent individual make!