Living in Kentucky is miserable, says study

Kentucky is a miserable place to live. It’s one of the most miserable places to live in the entire county, according to a study. (I respectfully disagree.)

Over 160,000 human beings were interviewed to determine the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index, which reviews how people live their lives. The index consists of five categories: sense of purpose, social relationships, financial security, relationship to community and physical health.

24/7 Wall Street then broke down the index’s findings by state, and found that Kentucky is the 45th most miserable state in America.

Here’s what it says about the Bluegrass:

45. Kentucky

Residents who like what they do every day: 70.6% (2nd lowest)
Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 76.0% (12th highest)
Residents in near perfect physical health: 48.4% (3rd lowest)
Poverty rate: 18.5% (4th highest)
Violent crime rate: 232.3 per 100,000 (7th lowest)

Using your strengths and enjoying what you do every day can greatly contribute to a sense of purpose — one of the most important pillars of personal well-being. In Kentucky, just 70.6% of adults like what they do every day, and 63.3% use their strengths to maximize their potential every day — the second smallest and smallest shares of any state, respectively. The relatively weak sense of purpose may partially explain the prevalence of depression in the state. Some 23% of respondents in Kentucky have had a depression in their lifetime, the fourth largest share of any state.

In addition, many also likely suffer from poor physical health. Only 48.4% of respondents in Kentucky assess their own physical health as near-perfect, the third smallest share of any state. Suboptimal health, for many, may be attributable to unhealthy habits. For example, just 57.4% of adults in the state eat healthily all day, the third smallest share of any state.

South Dakota ranked first on the well-being list with the highest percentage of residents who like what they do everyday and residents in near perfect physical shape.

Only Oklahoma, Mississippi, Arkansas and West Virginia are worse than Kentucky.

[America most miserable? An analysis of well-being]