Hawaiçi residents come out on top when it comes to having a feeling of well-being, beating out all other states, according to a new Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

The state’s mid-2009 ranking moved up from No. 2 at the end of 2008 in the index drawn from surveys measuring how people are doing physically, emotionally, socially and economically.
In fact, Hawaiçi’s index score increased by 1.2 points from the 2008 score and came in at 69.4 on an 100-point scale (with 100 representing ideal well-being).
The 50th State’s score compared to the national average, which sank slightly in the mid-year score to 65.1.
The index is computed from 1,000 daily telephone surveys taken nationwide. The overall ranking is a composite score on six areas that include life evaluation, emotional health, physical health, healthy behavior, work environment and basic access, a measure of availability of food, shelter and healthcare.
The Aloha State scored top in the nation in the area of emotion health, which looks at 10 items, including smiling or laughter, learning or doing something interesting, respect, happiness, worry and stress.
In the 2008 index the state ranked first in life evaluation (an evaluation of one's present situation and anticipated situation in five years) and in emotional health.
Besides Hawaiçi and Utah Iowa, Montana and North Dakota were in the top five states in the mid-year ranking.
West Virginia had the worst index score and was followed by Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi and Ohio.