Which big cities in America have the most people who are thriving?
According to the 2014 Well-Being Index, Sarasota, Florida is probably the happiest metro area in the country.
Renown for its sandy beaches, the community is characterized by residents with particularly good health, low financial stress and supportive relationships in their lives.
Of the largest 100 cities in the U.S. polled by Gallup-Healthways, the top five with the greatest well-being also includes Honolulu, Hawaii; Raleigh, North Carolina; Thousand Oaks-Ventura, California; and El Paso, Texas.
The report is based on responses from more than 176,000 randomly-selected adults across 50 states and the District of Columbia. The survey included questions about what people like to do and if they achieve their goals– and if they like where they live and feel safe.
Of the top ten best cities to live in, two were in Texas, two were in California and two in North Carolina.
Here are the top 10 cities on the list:
Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida
Honolulu, Hawaii
Raleigh, North Carolina
Thousand Oaks-Ventura, California
El Paso, Texas
Austin, Texas
Provo, Utah
San Jose-Santa Clara, California
Washington, DC and Northern Virginia
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
People in these cities exercised more often, were more healthy, and less obese.
You can see all the findings in the report, released last week, including the bottom ten cities, which reported the least amount of well-being– five of which were in Ohio.
SHARE the Good News (below) / Photo of Saratoga by Lawrence Lazare (CC)