The best places to live in the country have their residents jumping for joy.
When it comes to determining the best places to live in the country, we'll never really reach a broad consensus. As a native Wisconsinite, for instance, I'll fight tooth and nail to prove that cheese heads are what make this country great, although I'm pretty sure residents of other states would beg to differ.
That being said, it's worth investigating when large organizations are able to undertake massive surveys to inject some data into the debate. For a number of years, Gallup and Healthways have joined forces to investigate the top -- and bottom -- states for well-being. They base their response on ratings for health in a number of different areas: a sense of purpose; social, financial, and physical health; and community spirit.
The slideshow below highlights the best and the worst performing states. And, because we're a financial website, it also digs into the broader economic picture of each state as well.
