The 20 Worst Cities and Towns for Your Overall Well-Being
An annual ranking from Gallup, Healthways and Health eVillages compared the well-being of 190 communities in 2015 based on 340,000 telephone interviews. The survey asked about five categories: sense of purpose, social relationships, financial security, connection to the community and physical health. Click through for the 20 worst cities and towns in the ranking.
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Home of the Army base Fort Bragg, Fayetteville scored the lowest among the 190 ranked metro areas for community connectedness.
© CHRIS KEANE / Reuters
Known as the birthplace of Route 66, this community was among the lowest in four of the five categories. Its best showing was for community connectedness, which ranked in the middle of the pack.
Flickr/Brian Lewis
Sometimes known as the "Rubber Capital of the World," this onetime industrial powerhouse now falls in the bottom half of Gallup's survey for residents' sense of purpose, financial security and community connectedness. It scored among the lowest for physical health and social relationships.
Flickr/Jon Dawson
Motown and its surroundings ranked in the bottom half for financial security and physical health. It was among the lowest scorers for sense of purpose, social relationships and community connectedness.
© Rebecca Cook / Reuters
Named for Lake Erie, this community scored in the bottom half for sense of purpose, financial security and community connectedness. It ranked in the lowest rungs for physical health and social relationships.
Flickr/J. Stephen Conn
Known for its basketball mania, this metro area fell in the lowest half of Gallup's rankings for sense of purpose, financial security and community connectedness. It also ranked in the bottom fifth for physical health and social relationships.
Flickr/Intiaz Rahim
On the Mohawk River at the foot of the Adirondack Mountains, this metro area scored in the lowest fifth for sense of purpose and community connectedness. Its best showing was for physical health, which ranked in the middle.
Flickr/David Wilson
In the news for its water crisis, this community scored among the lowest in four of the five categories. But its financial security ranking fell in the middle.
© Rebecca Cook / Reuters
The capital of Louisiana ranked in the bottom fifth in four categories, but its sense of purpose ranking came in the top half.
Flickr/matt northam
Known as the setting for the sitcom The Office, this metro area scored in the bottom half for sense of purpose, financial security and physical health. It ranked among the lowest for community connectedness and social relationships.
© ERIC THAYER / Reuters
This Rust Belt town scored among the lowest for physical health, community connectedness (second-worst) and financial security. But its ranking for social relationships landed in the top fifth.
Flickr/steleleman204
The birthplace of Orville Wright, this community fell near the bottom for four of the five categories. Its ranking for social relationships ranked in the lowest half.
Flickr/Arycan
The second-largest city in New England after Boston, this metro area got the lowest score among the 190 communities for sense of purpose. Its highest ranking was for physical health, which fell in the bottom half.
Flickr/Destination Worcester
Holy Toledo, this community ranked among the lowest in four of five categories. Its best showing was for financial security, which still fell in bottom half.
Flickr/cmh231fl
This metro area that spans the Ohio and Pennsylvania border was close to the bottom in all five categories.
© Brian Snyder / Reuters
Home to California State University, this community ranked among the worst in four of five categories. Its highest ranking, for community connectedness, was still in the bottom half.
Flickr/Patrick Berry
The largest metro area in West Virginia, this community that spans the Kentucky and Ohio border scored among the lowest in all five categories.
Flickr/J. Stephen Conn
This North Carolina metro area had the lowest score among the 190 communities for financial security. Its highest ranking, for community connectedness, still fell in the bottom half of the list.
Wikimedia Commons/netmogul
The second-largest city in Arkansas, this metro area ranked poorly for all five categories and had the second-lowest rankings overall for social relationships and physical health.
Wikimedia Commons/brandonrush
The capital and largest city in West Virginia, this city ranked in the bottom fifth for all five categories, had the second-lowest rankings for sense of purpose and financial security and the lowest ranking of 190 communities for physical health.
Wikimedia Commons/Andrewas Faessler