Gallup-Healthways: El Paso #3 for Well-Being

According to a recent poll, El Paso tied for third with Raliegh, North Carolina, and the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, California, Metropolitan Statisical Area in some obtuse survey of “Well-Being.”

These community-level data are based on more than 176,000 interviews with U.S. adults across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, conducted from January through December 2014. All reported communities are metropolitan statistical areas as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. The Well-Being Index is calculated on a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 represents the lowest possible well-being and 100 represents the highest possible well-being. The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index score for the nation and for each community comprises metrics affecting overall well-being and each of the five essential 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

Gallup and Healthways have tracked well-being since 2008 and updated the Well-Being Index in 2014 to provide a more comprehensive measure of well-being. The Well-Being Index scores for 2014 are not directly comparable to the scores from prior years because they are calculated using a revised instrument and scoring methodology.

In a related story, the El Paso City Council is reportedly considering a tax on residents’ well-being. The proposal will be discussed in executive session at the Council’s next meeting, and may be labelled a “Well-Being Fee,” to obscure the fact that City Council jacks our taxes on any pretense.