It’s famous for its nightlife, vibrant music scene, spicy food, and raucous costumed parades of Mardi Gras.
But a new study suggests the masks draped over revelers’ faces may be masking the sadness that’s eating away at Louisiana.
The Pelican State was ranked as the unhappiest state in the US by WalletHub. Personal Finance Website.
The researchers scored each state on the quality of life of its residents, including career, family, and depression and suicide rates.
The researchers found that the misfortune afflicting Louisiana is widespread across the South.
A mother and daughter in Louisiana are suffering: carcinogenic pollutants have left Assanta McKee, then 5, with a lingering cough.
Arkansas, West Virginia, Tennessee and New Mexico rounded out the top five unhappiest states in the nation.
Those looking for a more enjoyable life should, unsurprisingly, head to Hawaii.
Pacific Islanders enjoy low unemployment rates, decent average incomes, low rates of depression, and some of the highest levels of life satisfaction in the United States.
Of course, we also enjoy warm weather all year round and some of the most beautiful beaches and scenery on earth.
Maryland, New Jersey, Utah and Delaware round out the top five happiest states in America.
WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said Hawaii and other high-scoring states make it easier for residents to achieve a “good work-life balance” and build stronger groups of family and friends.
“The happiest states are those that offer an above-average quality of life in a variety of areas,” Lupo said.
“The state has a strong economy, high quality mental and physical health care, plenty of leisure time and great weather,” he added.
For its study, WalletHub collected data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Feeding America, Gallup, and more.
They rated each state on 30 key indicators covering everything from rates of depression to mental health, suicide, life expectancy, alcohol abuse and even whether people were getting a good night’s sleep.
They also looked at occupations, residents’ working hours, salaries, commute times, whether their jobs were stressful and whether they were likely to be laid off in the coming months.
Finally, the researchers looked at the weather, the amount of time residents spent in enjoyable activities, and whether couples stayed together.
Homeless Jo Moretz sits with her dog, Foxy, near a boarded-up store in New Orleans’ French Quarter, another indicator of the city’s poverty levels.
Sadly, the Mardi Gras costumed parade through New Orleans only takes place once a year to boost morale for the state’s impoverished residents.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Hawaii ranked as the state with the highest resident satisfaction.
Louisiana also has one of the lowest income states in the nation.
Louisiana received the worst scores across the board, including painfully long work hours and a distressingly high divorce rate.
New Orleans’ 4.6 million residents regularly talk about the city’s strengths, including that it’s the birthplace of jazz and that it’s the fusion of flavors that makes Creole cuisine unique.
But they do not shy away from chronic problems such as toxic industrial pollution, crumbling infrastructure and poverty.
There are 629 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, which is 65 percent higher than the national average.
While Americans are migrating to Texas and other Southern states, Louisiana is bucking the trend with population outflow.
The state was bracing for Tropical Storm Francine on Tuesday, which is expected to strengthen in the southern Gulf of Mexico before moving north on Wednesday as a dangerous Category 2 hurricane.
WalletHub’s poll results are in line with a recent Louisiana State University poll, which found most residents say the state is heading in the wrong direction.
About 61% of residents said Louisiana is in decline and that crime and education are their biggest concerns.
Survey director Michael Henderson said it was the third year in a row that residents said their lives were getting worse.
“The survey results show that general dissatisfaction with the state of affairs in our state is deeply rooted, with dissatisfaction continuing for a long period of time, three unprecedented years,” Henderson said.
The researchers surveyed 511 adult residents across the state by telephone in March and April 23rd of this year about their opinions of the government and its policies.
