Top 10 Happiest, Healthiest U.S. Communities to Meet In

March 10, 2017

As mental and physical fitness become more important to Americans, those preferences are seen in the meetings industry, as well. Incorporating health and wellness into the agenda has never been more important for meeting planners.

So if you want happy, healthy attendees, it may help to choose a destination known for those qualities. The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index has been released for 2017. It lists the 10 U.S. communities with the highest overall well-being. The survey discovered that, generally, communities with the highest well-being are located on the East and West coasts of the United States.

The U.S. community with the top well-being score is Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, Florida. Located along Florida’s Paradise Coast, Naples offers lovely white-sand beaches, great weather and just so happens to be Collier County’s key meeting city.

Naples is easy to get to from Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) and features several top meeting resorts, including Naples Grande Beach Resort, which offers 83,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space.

Florida made another appearance on the list with the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton area coming in at No. 6. California was the only other state to get multiple mentions. Santa Cruz-Watsonville came in third place, while San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande was ranked seventh.

The rankings were determined by five key factors that influence happiness:

Purpose: Individuals are happier if they like what they do every day and have goals that motivate them.

–In our latest feature on millennials, we found that this generation greatly prioritizes purpose. Doing work that is meaningful and enjoyable is important for many millennials. This attitude carries over into their preferences for meetings and travel—millennials are known to prefer meetings that incorporate authentic, purposeful experiences.

Social Life: Fostering supportive and loving relationships with friends and family is important for mental health.

Finances: It should come as no surprise that having well-maintained finances reduces stress and boosts an individual’s sense of security.

Community: Living in a neighborhood where you feel safe and enjoy the surrounding areas can have a bit impact on happiness.

Physical Fitness: Being fit and having the energy and capability to do what you want to do—whether it’s household chores and yardwork or rock climbing and hiking—contributes to health and happiness.

–These days, physical health is incredibly important to meeting attendees. Many attendees prefer meetings that offer meditation rooms, yoga sessions, healthy food and beverage or adventurous offsites and other creative options for staying fit.

Below is the full list of U.S. communities with the highest well-being scores: