America's Happiest States

Ariel Schwartz discusses the recently released findings of the 2012 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which "surveys 1,000 people each day for 350 days out of the year, asking them questions about work environment, physical health, emotional health, lifestyle behaviors like exercise and smoking, access to things like health care and food, and overall life satisfaction."

In addition to Hawaii, "Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Minnesota have also remained in the top 10 for the last four years. Vermont, Iowa, and Nebraska, on the other hand, have jumped from being moderately happy states (Vermont was ranked at 27 in 2008) to the top 10."

At the other end of the list are a collection of Southern and Appalachian states. West Virginia has the dubious distinction of coming in last for the fourth consecutive year.