In the wake of the Great Recession, Montana’s economy has mostly mirrored the national one. We have persistent high unemployment, especially in the western part of the state, and new construction, which buoyed much of our growth, has fallen dramatically. But amid this downturn, how are Montanans’ overall “well-being?” According to the polling firm Gallup, it’s pretty good, at least compared to the rest of the country.
In its annual survey, Montana tied Utah with the second highest “Well-Being Index score” in the country. Only Hawaii ranked higher. Here’s how Gallup gathered its data:
Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index 2009 state-level data encompass more than 350,000 interviews conducted among national adults aged 18 older across all 50 states. Gallup and Healthways started tracking state-level well-being in 2008. The Well-Being Index score for the nation and for each state is an average of six sub-indexes, which individually examine life evaluation, emotional health, work environment, physical health, healthy behaviors, and access to basic necessities.
Western and Midwestern states did well in the survey, while Southern states ranked lower. Montana’s 2009 index scored increased by 1.6 points from the previous year. Here’s the complete state report (.pdf).