Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

New Survey Reveals the Well-Being of Americans Under Trump and No, We Are Not OK

New Survey Reveals the Well-Being of Americans Under Trump and No, We Are Not OK
U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office (Photo by Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images)

Don't expect the President to be tweeting this poll.

According to a new poll by Gallup and Sharecare, a health services company, American well-being under President Trump dropped in 21 out of 50 states and failed to improve in a single one. This is the first time in almost a decade a presidential administration performed so badly.

According to their report, the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index "includes more than 2.5 million surveys" and "captures how people feel about and experience their daily lives." The report examines well-being across the United States in five elements of well-being:


• Purpose: liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve your goals

• Social: having supportive relationships and love in your life

• Financial: managing your economic life to reduce stress and increase security

• Community: liking where you live, feeling safe, and having pride in your community

• Physical: having good health and enough energy to get things done daily

South Dakota moved to the top spot in 2017 with a well-being score of 64.1 out of 100, followed by Vermont and Hawaii. Along with Colorado, Hawaii is the only state that maintained a position in the top 10 ranking every year since the index began in 2008.

The bottom six spots were taken by states considered part of the American south:  Kentucky, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and West Virginia. All 6 of the lowest scoring states voted for Trump in 2016. West Virginia ranked 50th in well-being for the 9th year in a row.

2017 State of American Well-Being (Gallup-Sharecare)

Overall, Americans' well-being dropped from 62.1 in 2016 to 61.5 in 2017, the largest single year drop since the survey was created in 2008. A record number of states, 21, showed a drop in well-being. The previous record was a 15 state drop in 2009 at the beginning of the recession.

State by state 2017 well-being results (Gallup-Sharecare)

For the first time ever in the poll's 9 year history, not a single state recorded an increase in well-being. The survey results coincide with the beginning of the Trump presidency. They also mirror other polls regarding the overall feeling of Americans about the direction and future of the United States under Trump.

“This past year showed promising improvement in several behaviors associated with healthy living, yet it also serves as a wake-up call to remind us that the inner hallmarks of well-being deserve our attention,” said Ashlin Jones, vice president of research and advanced data science at Sharecare.

As we look toward improving all aspects of well-being, organizations and leaders across the states will be challenged to bridge innovation with evidence-based best practices to create positive change within their respective populations.”

According to the report, Americans worried more, felt “little pleasure” in activities, received diagnoses of depression, experienced more physical pain daily and reported a drop in “positive energy from friends and family."

President Trump generally doesn't Tweet about unfavorable polls, but others certainly are.

More from People/donald-trump

yellow note with "I QUIT!" on keyboard
Nick Fewings on Unsplash

People's Best 'F—k This, I Don't Get Paid Enough' Work Experiences

In 1977, singer and songwriter Johnny Paycheck scored a mega hit with his working-class anthem, "Take This Job and Shove It."

The lyrics embodied the sentiments of workers and their ultimate fantasy of telling off their boss, as the chorus said:

Keep ReadingShow less
Lauren Boebert; Kid Rock
Joe Raedle/Getty Images; Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Lauren Boebert In Hot Water After She's Busted Spending Campaign Funds On Kid Rock Concert Tickets

Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert is facing criticism after Federal Election Commission (FEC) records showed she spent over $3,300 of her campaign funds on concert tickets and a hotel in Texas on the same weekend her once-rumored boyfriend—MAGA singer Kid Rock—was performing.

Boebert’s campaign reported expenses for a hotel stay in Arlington, Texas, and for event tickets purchased in May. On May 16, Boebert attended the Rock N Rodeo — part of the Professional Bull Riding Championship World Finals at AT&T Stadium — an event hosted by Kid Rock. She even shared a photo of herself with the singer on social media.

Keep ReadingShow less
Left: Ron Perlman; Right: Harvey Weinstein during a court appearance.
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic via Getty Images; Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Ron Perlman Leaves Fans Stunned With Story About Peeing On His Hand Before Shaking Harvey Weinstein's

During an especially unsanitary round of storytime on Inside of You with Smallville’s Michael Rosenbaum, Ron Perlman resurrected one of Hollywood’s most infamous bits of petty rebellion: the “pee-pee handshake” he claims he once served to convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein.

Back in the political chaos of 2018, the Sons of Anarchy star revealed that he deliberately peed on his hand before greeting Weinstein at a charity event.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from ​@unpunishablewoman's TikTok video
@unpunishablewoman/TikTok

Single Woman Explains Why Married Women Are 'Self-Centered' In Their Friendships—And People Have Thoughts

There's nothing quite like the feeling of investing so much of yourself into your friendships and realizing that these people you love are unwilling to reciprocate your love and care.

In recent years, it's become an increasingly common and devastating problem for single women to feel taken advantage of by their married friends. They often feel pressured to support their married friends in their milestones, especially when it comes to their kids, while their milestones as a single person are ignored.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @helsmcp's TikTok video
@helsmcp/TikTok

TikToker Sparks Debate After Saying She's Suffering From 'Millennial Age Dysmorphia'

Did you know that experiencing trauma, even at a societal level, can have a lasting impact on your brain development, your aging process, and your perception of your age and capabilities?

Millennials, especially Elder Millennials, have become a classic example of this, and it's a wide-spread problem.

Keep ReadingShow less