Flickr/S Carpenter
For the third year in a row, Hawaii is the happiest state in America, according to the annual poll from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.
Hawaii ranked the highest in the nationwide survey in emotional and physical health, and Hawaii residents were most likely to rate their lives highly enough to be “thriving.”
Of course Hawaii has spectacular beaches, awe-inspiring waterfalls, and perfect waves just begging to be surfed, but there’s more to it than that. Beyond the incredible surroundings, Hawaiians find true bliss in the calm of everyday life.
Aloha Hawaii!
60.7 percent of Hawaiians exercise frequently, the second highest rate in the nation.
Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) was invented in Hawaii in the 1960s. Today it’s one of the fastest-growing water sports in the world.
People love the active, outdoor lifestyle. And the weather’s nice year-round: the average daytime temperature is 75˚-85˚F.
Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)/Tor Johnson
59.4 percent of Hawaiians frequently eat fresh produce.
Fresh fish is abundant. There are over 250 sushi restaurants in Honolulu alone.
90 percent of Hawaiians have health insurance.
Hawaii ranks 50th in the US in preventable deaths and those due to accidents and 49th in deaths by cancer and heart disease.
Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)/Peter Garzke
59.2 percent of Hawaiians believe that their cities, like Honolulu, are “getting better.”
Honolulu was ranked the third safest city among the largest U.S. cities by Forbes.
According to the most recent US Census, 89.8 percent of Hawaiians graduated from high school and 29.4% graduated from college–both higher than the national average.
According to the most recent US Census, there are 116,610 veterans in Hawaii.
Hawaii has 73 museums, state monuments, zoos, an opera house, a ballet, and the Honolulu Symphony.
Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)/Robert Coello
According to the most recent US Census, 38.6% of the population of Hawaii is Asian.
Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)/Tor Johnson
Hawaii’s diverse heritage gives rise to many Asian and Pacific festivals and cultural celebrations.
Flickr/madmarv00
And did we mention the beaches? More than 100 gorgeous beaches ring Honolulu. Maui has 30 miles of beaches on its 120 miles of coastline and Kauai has 50 miles of beaches on its 113 miles of coastline.
Flickr/imgdive
There are white, black, green and red sand beaches. Black sand beaches consist of tiny fragments of lava.
Hawaii’s Big Island Visitor Bureau (BIVB)
The landscape is lush and tropical.
Flickr/paul bica
The laid-back lifestyle draws people in–and then convinces them to stay.
How do other states stack up?
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