How Nevadans view their lives

The annual findings of a Gallup survey have found that Nevadans do not have a favorable view of their well being, though that view has improved slightly. Their jobs seem to be a source of much of their discontent.

The survey is based on 1,000 interviews every week during 2011. The same long-term survey was done during 2010. Respondents were asked to evaluate their lives, their emotional and physical health, their behaviors, their work environments, and their basic access to clean food and water, this last factor expected to become a growing concern in the U.S.

The overall figure for Nevadans’ sense of well being was 65.0, up from 64.2 in 2010. Nevada went from 43d to 40th among the states. Hawaii placed first, with a 70.1 ranking. West Virginia is 50th, with a 62.3 ranking.

Nevadans ranked their emotional and physical health, their behaviors, and their basic access fairly high. But they ranked their work environments very low. That appeared to determine their overall evaluation of their lives—only 46.7.

Interestingly, Las Vegans seemed to have changed little in their evaluation of their lives from 2010 to 2011, but Reno residents recorded a substantial decline.