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Boston University's School of Public Health and Sharecare recently published their annual Well Being Index, which compiles studies on several health topics and ranks each state based on its performance.
Massachusetts ranked second in access to healthcare, second in housing and transportation, third in purpose wellbeing, third in financial, fourth in physical health, fifth in social health, fifth in community health, and eighth in access to food, the study found.
Hawaii was the second healthiest state in the country, with New Jersey, Maryland, and New York rounding out the top five. The biggest cluster of top-ranked states sits in the nation's Northeast.
The lowest ranked states are firmly settled in the South. Seven of the bottom 10 are below the Mason-Dixon line. Only Virginia and Florida ranked in the top 20.
The lowest-ranked state in the Well Being Index was Mississippi for the third-straight year. In contrast to the Bay State and Hawaii, Mississippi was near the bottom in several categories, including purpose (49), healthcare access (43), economic security (48), and resource access (45).
In ascending order, Arkansas, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Alabama rounded out the bottom tier.
Click here to read the study and its recommendations.
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