Well-being captures the happiness of individuals. Not only are happier workers often more productive, but a healthy economy can also improve the well-being of an area’s residents. The measurement of well-being is both complex and extremely diverse across the United States.

No large urban area in the United States had happier residents than the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida metropolitan area. On the other hand, the Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio area had the lowest well-being score in the nation.

The 2014 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index measures the well-being of Americans in each metropolitan statistical area based on interviews conducted between January and December, 2014. This year’s index incorporated a range of metrics categorized into five essential elements of well-being: purpose, social, financial, community, and physical. Based on the well-being index, 24/7 Wall St. examined the metro areas with the highest and lowest scores.

Click here to see the happiest cities in America

Click here to see the most miserable cities in America

While Gallup’s index is based in part on subjective survey measures, the respondents’ perceptions are often closely tied to objective outcomes. According to Dan Witters, research director of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, well-being is closely linked to economic indicators and societal outcomes such as median household income and violent crime.

The five elements in the Gallup Index are interwoven so that a high score in one often leads to a high score in another. Similarly, higher levels of employment in higher paying occupations lead to higher incomes. Those higher incomes generally lead to better health outcomes or at least a better assessment of one’s own health.

While money does not ensure happiness, financial security plays a major role in well-being. The poverty rate in six of the most miserable cities was higher than the national poverty rate of 15.8%. And the median household income in eight of the lowest well-being metros did not exceed the national figure. In the happiest metro areas, poverty rates tended to be far lower than the national rate, and household incomes tended to be greater than the national median.

The metro areas with the highest well-being also tended to have relatively low unemployment rates. Half of the 10 happiest metros had jobless rates lower than the national rate of 7.4% in 2013. Seven of the areas with the worst well-being had unemployment rates inline with or higher than the national rate.

Low well-being areas are bad for both employers and employees. Living without a job can lead to discouragement and poor health, which in turn can lead to more sick days and less productivity. According to Witters, economic indicators such as unemployment rates are cyclically related to well-being. “Unemployment is going to drive well-being, but poor well-being is also going to reduce the probability of employment opportunities arising in your community.”

Regional economies are often struggling where well-being is lower. For Witters, this also means that “would-be employers are less likely to come in and invest in something that could potentially revitalize the community.” As a result, the areas with the lowest well-being scores also had slow if not declining population growths. The populations in seven of the lowest well-being areas grew slower than 3.0% from the middle of 2010 through the middle of last year, three of which reported population declines.

The geographical location of these metro areas also played a role. Most of the 10 metros with the highest well-being scores are located in warmer parts of the country, such as California, North Carolina, Texas, Florida, and Hawaii.

Of the 10 metro areas with the lowest scores, five are in Ohio and one each in Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.

Ohio appears consistently both as the home to low scoring metros and as among the bottom states for well-being. “It follows [a] general regional pattern [that] starts out in the south along the bible belt, picks up West Virginia, maybe as an honorary member of the south, but then stretches northward up through the industrial midwest,” Witters said.

To determine the happiest and most miserable cities, 24/7 Wall St. used the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. In previous years, Gallup’s survey included all metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). However, a methodological change confined this year’s results to only the 100 most populous metro areas.

To supplement each city’s index score, we considered income and poverty statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2013 American Community Survey (ACS). Also from the ACS, we included the share of households that received food stamps, educational attainment rates, and the share of the population without health insurance. We also considered the workforce composition by industry and the population growth from July 2010 through July 2014. Violent crime rates came from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and are as of 2013. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), we looked at unemployment rates for 2013 (annual average) and December 2014. Regional price parity — a proxy for the cost of living in each area — is from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and is as of 2012. All other data were aggregated from the county level using data from County Health Rankings, a program sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

These are the happiest (and most miserable) states in America.

The Happiest Cities in America

10. Winston-Salem, NC
> Poverty rate: 20.0%
> 2013 unemployment rate: 7.6%
> Adult obesity rate: N/A
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 371.7

Winston-Salem metro area residents reported the 10th highest well-being compared to all large metro areas. While most areas reporting high well-being were relatively wealthy, this was not the case in the Winston-Salem metro. A typical area household earned $42,563, lower than the national median household income of $52,250. Also unlike most areas with high well-being scores, 20% of Winston-Salem residents lived in poverty in 2013, one of the higher poverty rates nationwide. Financial burdens in the area may not be as bad as they seem. The cost of living in Winston-Salem was about 10% cheaper than the national average. And the December unemployment rate of 4.7% was among the lower rates nationwide. Area residents reported relatively healthy behaviors as well. Just 10.5% of adults reported drinking excessively, one of the lowest percentages in the nation.

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9. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
> Poverty rate: 8.5%
> 2013 unemployment rate: 5.5%
> Adult obesity rate: 26.2%
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 331.1

As in many other metro areas with high well-being scores, financial stability is a major component of happiness in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro area. The median income among households in the area was more than $90,000, second only to the San Jose metro area. Some residents had especially high incomes, as nearly 14% of households earned at least $200,000, the fourth highest proportion nationwide. Strong educational attainment helped raise incomes — and with it well-being. Nearly half of area adults had at least a bachelor’s degree, the sixth highest such rate. Strong access to healthy food also helped drive the area’s overall high well-being. Roughly one in 10 people in the area were victims of food insecurity — they did not have easy access to a grocery store — one of the lower shares nationwide. Similarly, less than 8% of residents relied on food stamps, nearly the lowest percentage in the country.

8. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
> Poverty rate: 10.5%
> 2013 unemployment rate: 7.0%
> Adult obesity rate: 20.4%
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 249.8

With a median household income of $91,533, the highest in the nation, high incomes contribute substantially to well-being in San Jose. The so called Silicon Valley is a hotbed of high-paying tech sector jobs that also demand high levels of education. Nearly 47% of area adults had at least a bachelor’s degree, the ninth highest proportion nationwide. While incomes are quite high, living in the area costs approximately 22% more than the national average, trailing only the New York-Newark-Jersey City and the Urban Honolulu metro areas. From mid 2010 through the middle of last year, the San Jose metro area’s population grew by 6%, one of the faster growth rates nationwide. With an obesity rate of 20.4%, considerably lower than the national average rate of roughly 35%, area residents are also relatively healthy.

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7. Provo-Orem, UT
> Poverty rate: 13.7%
> 2013 unemployment rate: 4.5%
> Adult obesity rate: 24.2%
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 70.2

Strong job security is likely the factor that contributes the most to Provo residents’ happiness. As of December, the metro area had one of the country’s lowest unemployment rates at just 2.8%. A typical household in the area earned $60,051, considerably higher than the comparable figure nationwide of $52,250. Perhaps as a result, less than 10% of area residents received food stamp benefits in 2013, one of the lowest shares in the country. High levels of education may also contribute to Provo residents’ happiness. Nearly 38% of area adults 25 and older had at least a bachelor’s degree, higher than all but a handful of metro areas. Low violent crime rates likely bolster happiness by contributing to residents’ overall trust in their neighbors. Just over 70 violent crimes were reported per 100,000 residents in 2013, much lower than the 369.7 violent crimes reported per 100,000 Americans.

6. Austin-Round Rock, TX
> Poverty rate: 14.3%
> 2013 unemployment rate: 5.1%
> Adult obesity rate: 23.5%
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 271.3

As of December, 3.4% of the Austin-Round Rock metro area workforce was unemployed, one of the lowest jobless rates nationwide. The strong labor market is largely due to Austin’s growing technology sector. The Austin region has also attracted large numbers of creative workers to media and entertainment jobs. The area’s population grew by 12.5% from 2010 through mid last year, or by about 225,000 people. This was the third fastest growth rate nationwide. Like most areas with the highest well-being scores, Austin-Round Rock metro residents were also relatively healthy and wealthy. The area’s obesity rate of 23.5%, for example, was among the lower rates nationwide. A typical household in the area earned $61,750, far higher than the national median household income of $52,250.

5. El Paso, TX
> Poverty rate: 22.6%
> 2013 unemployment rate: 8.6%
> Adult obesity rate: 25.4%
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 347.3

Nearly 25% of El Paso households relied on food stamps, 28.4% had no health insurance, and 22.6% lived in poverty in 2013, all some of the higher rates nationwide — exceptionally high compared to other areas with the highest well-being. In addition, less than three-quarters of adults had at least a high school diploma, nearly the lowest such rate nationwide. Yet residents still reported the fifth highest overall level of well-being. Relatively strong health indicators partly explain the high well-being. Just over 25% of residents were obese, one of the lower rates compared to other metro areas. The infant mortality rate of 4.4 deaths per 1,000 live births was also one of the lower figures in the nation. Also, El Paso’s job market has been improving at a healthy pace. While the 2013 annual unemployment rate of 8.6% was well above the national rate, it fell to 5.6% in December, roughly in line with the nation.

4. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
> Poverty rate: 11.9%
> 2013 unemployment rate: 7.8%
> Adult obesity rate: 21.3%
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 193.8

As in other areas with high levels of well-being, financial stability likely contributes the most to residents’ happiness. More than 10% of households in the Oxnard area earned more than $200,000 in 2013, more than twice the national share and the fifth highest share among all metro areas. Crime tends to be more common in areas with high unemployment rates. But while the 2013 unemployment rate of 7.8% in the Oxnard area was just higher than the national rate of 7.4%, the area’s crime rate was far below that of the nation. Just 193.8 violent crimes were reported, nearly half the comparable national rate. By December, the unemployment rate had fallen to about 6.0%, roughly in line with the nationwide decline. Residents are also in fairly strong health as only 12.1% of adults reported smoking regularly.

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3. Raleigh, NC
> Poverty rate: 12.0%
> 2013 unemployment rate: 6.3%
> Adult obesity rate: N/A
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 219.3

As in most other areas reporting high levels of well-being, Raleigh residents are especially well educated. Nearly 44% of area adults had at least a bachelor’s degree, considerably higher than the comparable national attainment rate of nearly 30%. The presence of large universities nearby such as Duke University, North Carolina State, and the University of North Carolina helped raise educational attainment rates and likely helped improve the overall well-being of residents. The unemployment rate of 4.1% in December was also one of the lowest rates nationwide. The strong economy partly explains the strong population growth. From July 2010 through July 2014, Raleigh’s population grew by 9.3%, 11th fastest compared with other metro areas.

2. Urban Honolulu, HI
> Poverty rate: 9.4%
> 2013 unemployment rate: 4.4%
> Adult obesity rate: 22.1%
> Violent crimes per 100,000: N/A

The happiness of Honolulu residents is likely derived from healthy behaviors. Just 22.1% of adults in the area were identified as obese in 2013, and only 14.6% of adults smoked regularly — nearly the lowest rates in the country. Strong life evaluations may also result from a strong regional economy. Just 3.5% of the labor force was unemployed in December, more than two percentage points below the national unemployment rate of 5.6%. While the area’s median household income of $73,388 was one of the highest incomes nationwide, the cost of living is the highest compared to the nation.

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1. North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL
> Poverty rate: 14.4%
> 2013 unemployment rate: 7.2%
> Adult obesity rate: 22.5%
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 422.2

The North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton metro area reported the highest well-being on Gallup’s survey. Roughly 30% of the area’s population was at least 65 years old, nearly the highest share compared to other metro areas. Many members of the area’s relatively large elderly population are likely retired. Living in retirement does not guarantee happiness, but more free time and retirement living is likely a major contributor to well-being in the North Port metro area. It is also a popular destination for migrants, with the population growing 6.4% from the middle of 2010 through July of last year, one of the faster growth rates compared to other metro areas. Warm weather is strongly associated with metro area growth, and Florida’s favorable climate is both a luxury for residents and an added incentive for Americans looking to relocate. Strong health indicators also explain the metro’s lead position on Gallup’s Index. The obesity rate of 22.5% in the North Port metro was among the lower rates nationwide.

Click here to see the most miserable cities in America

The Most Miserable Cities

10. Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
> Poverty rate: 14.5%
> 2013 unemployment rate: 7.2%
> Adult obesity rate: 29.6%
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 285.2

Based on Gallup surveys conducted last year, Cincinnati metro area residents have the 10th lowest well-being compared to other large metro areas. The Cincinnati metro area is also one of five cities with the lowest well-being located in Ohio. The state has had among the 10 lowest state-level scores every year since Gallup began measuring well-being in 2008. As in several other areas with the lowest well-being where population growth is very low or even negative, Cincinnati’s population grew by 1.5% from July 2010 through July 2014, one of the slowest growth rates nationwide. Area residents also had relatively poor health indicators. The infant mortality rate, for example, was 8.3 deaths per 1,000 live births, one of the higher rates.

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9. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
> Poverty rate: 16.9%
> 2013 unemployment rate: 9.9%
> Adult obesity rate: 31.5%
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 569.6

Detroit’s 17-month bankruptcy, which ended last December, did not help the city’s status as the ninth lowest ranking state in the Gallup well-being survey. The city’s financial woes likely contributed to its relatively high violent crime rate of 569.6 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, one of the higher rates nationwide. As a consequence of the bankruptcy, city officials embarked on a campaign to collect past due water bills, which resulted in shutting off water to about 100,000 city residents. Also, an estimated 17.5% of residents used food stamps in the last 12 months, four percentage points above that national rate. One positive is the region’s improving unemployment rate. The December jobless rate of 6.5% was down significantly from a 17.2% peak in June-July 2009. Detroit’s rank is consistent with the rank for all of Michigan, which was the ninth most miserable state in a Gallup state-by-state comparison.

8. Columbus, OH
> Poverty rate: 14.8%
> 2013 unemployment rate: 6.5%
> Adult obesity rate: 30.2%
> Violent crimes per 100,000: N/A

The Columbus metro area is home of football-obsessed Ohio State University and is one of the most fanatical football cities. Even when the Buckeyes win, however, Columbus is one of the unhappiest cities in the country. About 14.6% of Columbus households used food stamps in the last 12 months compared with 13.5% nationally. Columbus also has a relatively high rate of people living with HIV, as well as a relatively high infant mortality rate. Despite these poor health indicators, about 14.2% of Columbus residents consider themselves to be in only fair or poor health, roughly in line with the countrywide figure. In addition, Columbus had an unemployment of 3.9% in December, uncharacteristically low compared to several other areas with low well-being scores.

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7. Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton, PA
> Poverty rate: 15.5%
> 2013 unemployment rate: 9.1%
> Adult obesity rate: 29.9%
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 232.2

The Scranton-Wilkes-Barre-Hazleton metro area is one of just a few regions where the population declined from the middle of 2010 to the middle of last year, generally a bad sign both for an area’s economy and its well-being. Residents were not especially wealthy with a typical household income of $45,333, considerably lower than the national median household income. Despite this, less than 10% of residents did not have health insurance, one of the lower shares nationwide. And the December unemployment rate of 5.6% was slightly lower than that of the nation. Still, residents were on the whole relatively unhappy, due in part to prevalent unhealthy behaviors and outcomes. Nearly one-quarter of area adults reported a smoking habit, one of the higher rates. Also, more than one in five people living in Scranton drank excessively, a far higher proportion than in most metro areas.

6. Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL
> Poverty rate: 16.2%
> 2013 unemployment rate: 7.9%
> Adult obesity rate: 27.2%
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 392.7

An estimated 19.5% of Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach residents did not have health insurance, a situation exacerbated by the fact that 23.6% of the area’s population is 65 or older — a large percentage compared to other metro areas. About 22.4% of Deltona adults smoked, one of the higher rates in the country. About 18.4% of residents considered themselves to be in poor or only fair health, also one of the higher percentages nationwide. Not only do adults have unhealthy habits, putting themselves at risk, but also 25.1% of children lived in poverty, one of the higher rates in the country.

5. Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN
> Poverty rate: 15.2%
> 2013 unemployment rate: 7.1%
> Adult obesity rate: 30.7%
> Violent crimes per 100,000: N/A

The Indianapolis metro area is the most populous in Indiana, and the fifth most unhappy city in the country compared to other large metros. Low well-being is largely due to unhealthy habits and poor health outcomes among area residents. Nearly 23% of adults reported a smoking habit, for example, one of the higher proportions nationwide. In addition, the infant mortality rate of 7.7 deaths per 1,000 live births was one of the higher such rates reviewed. Poor economic factors also contribute to low well-being in the area, as about 15.2% of residents lived in poverty, one of the higher poverty rates in the country.

4. Dayton, OH
> Poverty rate: 16.4%
> 2013 unemployment rate: 8.0%
> Adult obesity rate: 29.9%
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 271.7

Dayton is among the metro areas with the lowest well-being. Like many regions in Ohio, the hollowing out of the manufacturing industry in the US has put a great deal of strain on the Dayton area. Dayton, the primary city in the metro, had a population of roughly 140,000 in 2013, down almost 50% from its peak in the 1960s. And the area at large has not fared much better in recent years. From the middle of 2010 through the middle of last year, the metro’s population grew just 0.1%, one of the slowest growth rates. A number of health and lifestyle factors also help explain the low level of reported well-being in Dayton. For one, nearly 40% of households in the metro area were run by a single parent, one of the higher rates of any metro area in the nation.

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3. Knoxville, TN
> Poverty rate: 17.5%
> 2013 unemployment rate: 6.9%
> Adult obesity rate: 30.1%
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 364.1

The Knoxville metro stands out for its wide swath of health related issues. In a 2012 survey, roughly 20% of the population reported to be in some form of ill-health. This is likely in part driven by city residents’ low levels of physical activity. Roughly a third of the population reported themselves as physically inactive. Like in several other areas with low well-being, Knoxville metro residents are not especially wealthy. A typical household earned $45,051, lower than the national median household income of $52,250. The area’s poverty rate of 17.5% was also higher than the national rate.

2. Toledo, OH
> Poverty rate: 19.5%
> 2013 unemployment rate: 8.4%
> Adult obesity rate: 31.7%
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 530.3

Home to major GM and Chrysler plants, employment in Toledo’s manufacturing sector contracted by nearly 10% at its worst point, when the auto industry imploded in 2009. While employment has rebounded, it is still far below its pre-recession levels. Perhaps as a result, the area’s unemployment rate jumped to over 13% in early 2010 and its population shrank from 2010 to 2014 as residents looking for work relocated. While the unemployment rate dropped to 5.1% in December of last year, nearly 20% of Toledo’s residents lived in poverty in 2013 and median household income was just $42,792, both far worse than their comparable national figures.

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1. Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA
> Poverty rate: 17.4%
> 2013 unemployment rate: 8.5%
> Adult obesity rate: 31.4%
> Violent crimes per 100,000: N/A

The Youngstown metro area had the lowest well-being score, according to Gallup, and is one of five metro areas with the lowest well-being located in Ohio. As of 2013, a typical household earned just less than $42,000, more than $10,000 below the national median. Additionally, only 20.3% of Youngstown residents 25 and over had a bachelor’s degree, far lower than the comparable national figure of 29.6%. And while the unemployment rate was at 5.3% in December of last year, its peak of nearly 14% in early 2010 likely caused residents to move out of the city in search of work. From the middle of 2010 to mid 2014, the population of the Youngstown metro area shrank by 2.1%, one of the largest contractions among all metro areas.

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