If not, I think you should be. You’re surrounded by three of the happiest places in the United States according to Prevention Magazine Online.
Sioux Falls, SD was awarded the honor of being the “All-around healthiest” city. “Why it won: Highest levels of self-reported health,” according to the article.
Fargo North Dakota was another winner. Why it won: very high scores in regular church attendance
“Sure, the winters are long, snowy, and cold. But Fargo’s fans say the city’s strong sense of community, which shows up in high scores for regularly attending religious services, makes up for it. It’s also a big clue to the town’s warmth, says Stephanie Tollefson, 35, a pastor at Hope Lutheran Church, which welcomes some 5,000 worshippers weekly. ‘People say a generous heart is a happy heart, and I see that here. The more you connect with other people, the more joy you get back,’ she says. ‘And the more joy you have, the more you want to give back.’ In Fargo, she says, ‘people genuinely seem to want to belong to something that’s bigger than just themselves.'”
Reminds me of Aberdeen! The sense of community is very strong here, as I’ve blogged about before.
Minneapolis, MN ranked #3 with top scores for heart health. And to the Southwest, Lincoln, NE boasts “the country’s lowest unemployment rate; healthy hearts.”
And a postscript to my friends around here from Boise: Prevention praises Boise for the “lowest rate of traffic fatalities; lots of regular exercisers.”