Watch CBS News

Delaware Limps In at 47th on National 'Well-Being Index'

By Pat Loeb

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The pollsters at the Gallup organization have released their state-by-state, semiannual ranking of their "Well-Being Index."

The index is based on people's answers to questions about their health, work life, and emotional state.  And the latest release shows that the tri-state area has plenty of room for improvement.

New Jersey and Pennsylvania are just average on the well-being index, ranking 29th and 31st, respectively.

But the real surprise is Delaware, which is number 47 out of 50 -- ahead of only Mississippi, Kentucky, and West Virginia.

"The Gallup poll must have been interviewing people stuck at the toll booth on Thanksgiving weekend," says Wilmington attorney and First State booster Chuck Durante.  He doesn't buy the poll's ranking of his state.

"Delaware is a place where people are happy with their lives and each other!" he tells KYW Newsradio.

Durante says if Delawareans really responded so poorly to questions such as, 'How would you rate your present life situation?,' it's because their standards are so high.

"They have been so happy over the last two generations that they've reached a point where the emotional energy just has to be recharged," he surmises.

If that's the case, those Delaware folks might want to go to Hawaii -- still ranked #1 in overall well-being.

 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.