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hfojvt

(37,573 posts)
Tue Mar 11, 2014, 03:04 AM Mar 2014

the happiest, and most miserable states

http://247wallst.com/special-report/2014/02/20/americas-most-content-and-miserable-states/

First, the most miserable

10. Louisiana
9. Oklahoma
8. Misery
7. Tennessee
6. Arkansas
5. Ohio
4. Alabama
3. Mississippi
2. Kentucky
1. West Virginia

Then the happiest

10, Iowa (ironically, I would say I became happier leaving Iowa)
9. Washington
8. Hawaii (okay, this one makes sense)
7. Colorado
6. Vermont (so does this one)
5. Montana
4. Minnesota
3. Nebraska
2. South Dakota (woohoo, my home state!!)
1. North Dakota???

Except for Washington and Hawaii, most of those happy states - are really COLD.

I mean, the overnight low tonight in Fargo is 8 degrees. Compared to 59 for Birmingham, Alabama and 58 for Tupelo, Mississippi and even 48 for Morgantown, WVa. Pierre's (SD) low tonight is 28.

Why the heck wouldn't EVERY southern state be happier than North Dakota?

Not just the cold, but the SNOW too. Pierre gets 27 days of snow, for an average of 31.2 inches. Almost three feet of snow that needs to be shovelled, and that does not even count blowing and drifting. Sioux Falls gets 32 days of snow for an average of 44.5 inches.

When I was growing up, my home town broke the record (not sure if it's a national record or just our local record) for "most consecutive days it did not get above freezing. The old record was 60 days. The new record was 80 (I wanted to go for 100 days). The kicker was that it finally got up to about 33 for one hour on the 80th day. Then a cold front hit and it didn't get above about minus five for the next WEEK.

So I do not understand why even Missouri is not happier than North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and especially Minnesota. To say nothing of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississipp and Oklahoma. OKC is supposed to get to 76 degrees tomorrow, while Fargo is looking at a balmy 31 with a chance of snow.

I mean, come on OKC, get happy.
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the happiest, and most miserable states (Original Post) hfojvt Mar 2014 OP
Money is the reason N Dakota tops the list. Their oil boom has put money in everyones pocket, given okaawhatever Mar 2014 #1
Money, sure hfojvt Mar 2014 #3
#8 the state of Misery - is that Texas? Skittles Mar 2014 #2
no hfojvt Mar 2014 #4
The answer is in the article. herding cats Mar 2014 #5
Not everybody likes warmer weather... Phentex Mar 2014 #6
you should hear people in Kansas complain about winter hfojvt Mar 2014 #7
I'm with you PasadenaTrudy Mar 2014 #8
I think Vermont is in that list because there's still a strong sense of community cali Mar 2014 #9

okaawhatever

(9,453 posts)
1. Money is the reason N Dakota tops the list. Their oil boom has put money in everyones pocket, given
Tue Mar 11, 2014, 03:35 AM
Mar 2014

the state tax revenue and everyone is employed. The value of their homes have gone up, etc. etc. Why do you think people vote for candidates based on the economy? The midwestern states usually have good happiness scores because there isn't a lot of upheaval, family stability and presence of extended family, stable incomes and occupations, healthcare and low crime,

hfojvt

(37,573 posts)
3. Money, sure
Tue Mar 11, 2014, 04:22 AM
Mar 2014

but I would think a sensible person would want to get money for mostly one reason - so they could move the hell out of North Dakota.

Although I did just see something else kinda funny

Correlation between happiness and unemployment rate.

Unemployment rate by states Dec. 2013

1. ND - 2.7
2. Ne - 3.6
2. SD - 3.6
4. Utah - 4.0
5. Iowa - 4.2
5. Vermont - 4.2
7. Wyoming - 4.4
8. Hawaii - 4.7
8. Minnesota - 4.7
10. Kansas - 4.9
11. NH - 5.2
11. Va - 5.2
13. La - 5.4
13. Montana - 5.4
13. Ok - 5.4

Many of the happy states are low unemployment states. Although Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Montana all have the same unemployment rate, yet one is happy and two are unhappy (relatively). Part of that might be direction. Oklahoma's unemployment rate was 5.1 last year and rose to 5.4. Montana's was 5.6 and has fallen.

Kansas has a low unemployment rate, BUT a shrinking labor force.

But Missouri has a growing labor force and a falling unemployment rate, which is fairly low.

The five states with the highest unemployment rate, are NOT in the top ten unhappy states (and I really expected Michigan to make that list)

California, Michigan, Illinois, Nevada and Rhode Island.

hfojvt

(37,573 posts)
4. no
Tue Mar 11, 2014, 04:25 AM
Mar 2014

it's Missouri, my neighbor to the east.

Which is why they are so unhappy.


They are downwind of all my farts.

herding cats

(19,549 posts)
5. The answer is in the article.
Tue Mar 11, 2014, 06:26 AM
Mar 2014

There's a balance in income, health and education that makes life better in the most content states. One of the. Questions they ask is if you can recall laughing or smiling in the past 24 hours. Imagine a life so filled with stress and financial uncertainty that you don't even receive even enough joy to smile once a day?

In states with high well-being scores, residents were less likely to smoke and more likely to exercise regularly and learn new things every day. These states also enjoyed the positive outcomes of such behaviors, including lower obesity rates and other common health problems.

The opposite was generally true for states with low well-being, where residents were more likely to have unhealthy lifestyles or limited access to basic necessities. As a result, they tended to feel physically and emotionally unhealthy. In those states, residents were among the most likely in the nation to suffer from health problems such as high cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as obesity. Broadly, residents in these states did not feel they were thriving.

Other factors considered by 24/7 Wall St., in addition to data from the Well-Being Index, may also influence a state’s score. The states with the lowest well-being typically had very low median household incomes. Having a stable income is important because it enables people to access basic needs such as healthy food, clean water, medicine, and health care. However, the opposite was not the case for the highest ranking states, a number of which were not especially well-off.

“For the most part, well-being goes up with income,” according to Witters. While a low income can definitely impair well-being, as incomes rise, factors such as emotional health tend to level out, Witters explained. For individuals, “emotional health scores kind of hit their peak at about $75,000 a year. And after that point, they really don’t get any better.”

Phentex

(16,330 posts)
6. Not everybody likes warmer weather...
Tue Mar 11, 2014, 07:38 AM
Mar 2014

I'd be outta here (ga) if I could convince my husband to move. My number one source of unhappiness here? The damn warmer weather! In general, i am not an unhappy person. But in about a month, the weather will make me miserable until about October.

I think happiness is more about economic and overall well being rather than weather.

PasadenaTrudy

(3,998 posts)
8. I'm with you
Tue Mar 11, 2014, 11:36 AM
Mar 2014

Can't take the heat. SoCal is in a major drought. We didn't really get a Winter at all. It has been 86 the last couple of days and it is only March. I wish we could move away, too. To where, I do not know....

 

cali

(114,904 posts)
9. I think Vermont is in that list because there's still a strong sense of community
Tue Mar 11, 2014, 11:44 AM
Mar 2014

and an equally strong sense of place.

And yes, low unemployment, a higher than average minimum wage, good preventive health services, high number of people with health insurance, highest high school graduation, that it's the state where folks exercise most and eat most produce, healthiest state, are all factors.

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