It isn’t West Virginia, which came in dead last, as it has for 5 years in a row now.
Move over, Hawaii. North Dakota is now the happiest state in the union.
For the first time in five years, Hawaii does not rank highest in Gallup’s annual well-being poll. Instead, North Dakota takes the top spot, with a well-being score of 70.4 out of 100, according to a new report released on Feb. 20 by the polling agency.
A state known for icy winters and oil drilling may seem like an odd candidate for the happiest place to live, especially compared to tropical Hawaii, but the upset came as no surprise to Dan Witters, research director of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.
“Historically, it’s had a lot of top-10 rankings,” Witters told LiveScience, referring to North Dakota. “It’s never been No. 1, but it’s been way up there.”
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