Americans may be feeling a bit better about their finances overall, but those in the South are still struggling the most. A new survey from Gallup ranks the 50 states according to the financial wellbeing of their residents, and the 10 states that received the lowest scores are all in the South.
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Gallup surveyed adults about their ability to afford food and health care, whether they had the money to do everything they want to do, whether money was a concern in the past seven days and their impression of their standard of living compared to people they spend time with.
Mississippi received the lowest score, with the highest percentage of residents saying that they had trouble paying for food and health care over the past year and the lowest percentage of residents saying that they have the funds to do everything they want to do.
On the other hand, six of the states with the highest financial well-being are in the Midwest. “Differences in income, employment and age — all of which are linked to financial well-being — could help explain the regional pattern,” Gallup says.
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Hawaii scores highest overall, with the largest percentage of residents saying they have enough money to do everything they want to do. Alaska ranks second, with both the highest percentage of residents saying they haven’t worried about money in the past week and that they’re satisfied with their standard of living in relation to their friends, family and coworkers.
Here are the 10 states with the lowest – and highest – financial wellbeing, according to Gallup.
States With Lowest Financial Well-Being
1. Mississippi
2. Tennessee
3. Georgia
4. Louisiana
5. Kentucky
6. Alabama
7. South Carolina
8. West Virginia
9. Arkansas
10. North Carolina
States With Highest Financial Well-Being
1. Hawaii
2. Alaska
3. North Dakota
4. Wyoming
5. South Dakota
6. Minnesota
7. Nebraska
8. Montana
9. Iowa
10. Wisconsin
