Sarasota, Bradenton Lead the Nation in Well-Being, Survey Says

When it comes to residents’ overall well-being, the Sarasota, Bradenton and North Port area tops the nation, according to a new index released by Gallup.

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index looked at 100 of the most populous communities across the country to come up with its 2014 rankings, which were just released. The results are derived from a telephone survey that was conducted by Gallup researchers between Jan. 2 and Dec. 29, 2014, according to the research company’s website. The random sample included more than 176,000 adults, age 18 and over, in metro areas within the United States.

To determine its rankings, researchers asked survey participants questions about such topics as:

• Residents’ purpose – liking what they do and being motivated to achieve goals
• Social networks – the presence of supportive relationships in their lives
• Financial well-being – ability to handle economic issues to manage stress while increasing security
• Community standing – liking and feeling safe about where they live
• Physical well-being – having overall good health

When all was said and done, the Sarasota, Bradenton and North Port area didn’t top the individual lists once, but it ranked in the Top 12 in all five factors considered in the survey, Gallup noted.

“This community is characterized by particularly strong physical, financial and social well-being, ranked second, second and fourth in the nation, respectively, in those elements,” Gallup’s media release on the survey stated.

That Sarasota, Bradenton and North Port area ranked an overall index score of 64.1. The next closest contender was the metro Honolulu area with 63.8. Some of the lowest-ranking areas are in Ohio, Tennessee and Michigan. Florida’s Deltona, Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach area also ranked among the lowest in the nation with a score of 59.5.

The Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater metropolitan area ranked 81st on the list of 100.

To check out the full report on the survey, visit Gallup online.

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See Also:

• Bay Area Beaches Up for Florida’s Best Honors
• Bay Area Ranks in the Nerd Department, Website Says

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