Well being is more akin to healthy lifestyle than happiness index.
All southern states with huge very obese black (the women mostly) populations and fair amount of fat white trash (again women mostly)are doomed for that from the start..
Same demographic that causes them to lose at income and school score ranks too
But even the lower classes down here are happier than up north.
I noticed that right away living in Manhattan...the legions of poor blacks and latinos there were angry...much different than what I was used to...or maybe they just didn’t like me...I get that sometimes.
My possible future son in law from Cornwall NY just got here and that was his first comment after “it’s colder than I thought” was how much nicer folks are here...he is simply floored.
I warned him though that being abrasive down here can spark trouble that among whites will get violent quicker than outside the south expecially with hillbillies....so don’t equate politeness with weakness. Even if you take out black crime, whites down south are still more prone to shoot or staub folks they are in a row with.
People in a Manhattan bar are far more interesting and fun to talk to than Hillbillies in a similar setting, especially if you are not interested in discussing football or basketball.