Despite what coastal elites would have you think, some of the nation’s happiest states are in Middle America.
According to the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index released Feb. 27, 2019, Hawaii is the happiest place in America for the seventh year in a row, and the runners-up are all red states: Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Utah.
These are the kinds of states comedian Bill Maher recently derided as angry and crazy. They’re also states to which people are fleeing from blue states.
“The blue parts of America are having a big prosperity party while that big sea of red feels like their invitation got lost in the mail,” Maher said on his show last Friday. “And they still use the mail.”
Yet the residents of red states seem to feel they’re prospering.
The Gallup index surveyed respondents about their career, social, financial, community, and physical well-being. To explain what makes them so happy, current and former residents repeat two themes: natural beauty and small, tight-knit communities.
First, red states have some of the most stunning natural beauty in the country. They are wild and active, full of national parks and outdoor activities. Tourists flock to Montana for hiking, Utah for skiing, and Wyoming to watch Old Faithful erupt. With the highest mountain in North America, and quite a bit else besides, Alaska has some of the continent’s best views and wildest wildlife.
Utah’s red cliffs and Wyoming’s geysers may not contribute directly to wellness indicators such as financial stability, but they do inspire a sense of awe, which, according to a 2015 study published by the American Psychological Association, promotes altruism. That may be one reason Utah is the second most charitable state, topping others in volunteering and donations. Another connection is Utah’s strong religious culture. The Mormon Church happens to encourage tithing, but it also provides social cohesion that most places in America lack.
Second, these states are small in population. Wyoming has the smallest in the U.S., less than the city of Milwaukee, and the remoteness draws the residents of these states closer. A southeast Wyoming school will reopen this fall to serve just one student, so that the kindergartner won’t have to travel more than an hour in harsh winter conditions. Alaskans are outdoorsy, topping all other states in physical well-being as most of them get at least half an hour of exercise three days a week. They go fishing, hiking, hunting, and snowmobiling with each other. And the bitter climate and rugged terrain bring the small population together.
In his diatribe, Maher targeted Wyoming, saying, “there are no red carpets” there. Wyoming may not have rust-colored rugs for celebrities to wipe their feet on. But it has Yellowstone National Park, and that’s probably a bit better.
