Massachusetts tops Sharecare Community Well-Being Index ranking of US states for second consecutive year

As COVID-19 pandemic entered a new phase and changing workforce dynamics reshaped labor market, well-being improved in key well-being and SDOH domains across the nation

ATLANTA and BOSTON, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — As the COVID-19 pandemic reached its second year in 2021, Massachusetts emerged as the healthiest state in the nation, according to a study released today by Sharecare (Nasdaq: SHCR), the digital health company that helps people manage all their health in one place, in partnership with the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH). While overall well-being remained generally unchanged at a national level in 2021, the latest Sharecare Community Well-Being Index state rankings report reveals improvements in key domains as COVID-19 vaccines ushered in a sense of normalcy and evolving workforce dynamics took hold across the U.S.

Built on more than a decade of measurement and over 4 million surveys completed to date, the nationally representative dataset comprising the Sharecare Community Well-Being Index is the most comprehensive assessment of community health in the country. As in previous years, the newly released research assessed the well-being of nearly 500,000 Americans spanning all 50 states in 2021 across individual well-being domains, including physical, social, community, purpose, and financial; and also analyzed more than 600 elements of social determinants of health (SDOH) to identify those data most associated with community health outcomes – healthcare access, food access, resource access, housing and transportation, and economic security.  

Massachusetts maintains #1 spot, Mississippi remains at bottom for third year running

The following states achieved the highest and lowest scores in the nation for overall well-being, respectively:

The highest-ranked states shared several commonalities. Across the five individual well-being domains studied, the three healthiest states in 2021 – Massachusetts (#1), Hawaii (#2), and New Jersey (#3) – each earned scores among the top five in the nation. These states also achieved best-in-nation scores in the SDOH domain of healthcare access. Nine of the 10 top-ranked states also performed highly in the domain of physical well-being with scores among the 10 highest in the nation.

The analysis of the lowest-ranked states in 2021 also uncovered common challenges in both individual well-being and SDOH domains, with Mississippi earning last-in-the-nation scores in most domains and maintaining its #50 overall ranking for the third year in a row. Each of the bottom 10 states earned lowest-in-nation scores in the well-being domain of community, which measures the extent to which individuals like where they live and have pride in their community. Similarly, nine of the 10 lowest-ranked states landed in the bottom quintile for purpose well-being, defined as liking what you do each day and feeling motivated to achieve your goals.

Dimensions of well-being influenced by COVID-19 vaccine rollout, evolving workforce dynamics

Overall well-being throughout the nation scored 60.9 out of 100, representing minor gains from 60.5 in 2020. However, a detailed review of the domains comprising the Index reveals more dramatic changes from 2019 to 2021.

As the introduction and rollout of several COVID-19 vaccines modified risk tolerance for social gatherings and returning to in-person work, domain scores measuring community and social bonds also increased. In the financial well-being domain, which measures individuals’ ability to manage their economic life to increase financial security and reduce stress, the nation’s score also increased to pre-pandemic levels – reversing a year-over-year decline measured between 2019 and 2020.

Additionally, purpose well-being increased by a statistically significant 5.7 points, from 59.0 in 2019, to 62.7 in 2020, to 64.7 in 2021. Notably, this trend occurred as many people left the workforce or moved to jobs that better aligned with their personal and professional goals; by effect, these behaviors appeared to compound gains observed since the beginning of the pandemic.

Further, an additional analysis¹ of Sharecare’s 2021 rankings captured an association between job resignation rates and several domains impacting states’ overall well-being. Compared to the 10 states with the lowest resignation rates, the 10 states with the highest resignation rates in 2021 ranked on average:

• 19 positions (or approximately 2.8 points) lower in financial well-being.
• 18 positions (or approximately 5.1 points) lower in healthcare access.
• 17 positions (or approximately 1.0 point) lower in community well-being.

“Last year marked a turning point in many ways for well-being across the U.S.,” said Dr. Michael Rickles, vice president of research at Sharecare. “As the pandemic consistently and prominently influenced the year end-to-end – from workforce dynamics to social and community engagement – our research findings underscore the fact that well-being is not an accident, but instead the result of a mix of behaviors and social circumstances that shape our lives. Our hope is that leaders – both in the public and private sectors – can study their states’ performance to understand their strengths and weaknesses across domains so that they can foster healthy, thriving communities.”

“This initial analysis of 2021 data from the Sharecare Community Well-Being Index adds nuance to our ongoing study of the well-being landscape in the U.S.,” said Dr. Kimberly Dukes, executive director of BUSPH’s Biostatistics & Epidemiology Data Analytics Center. “As a new phase of a once-in-a-century pandemic met unique economic forces, the data show that several domains of well-being trended in positive directions, and in one case ‘recovered’ to pre-pandemic levels. Data collected in 2022 will help us understand how community well-being fared as many pandemic-related restrictions were formally loosened and inflation continues to increase.”

To arrive at these results, Sharecare and BUSPH conducted web and mail surveys among 495,783 U.S. residents aged 18 and older throughout 2021 and analyzed more than 600 elements of SDOH data. Results are nationally representative. To read the full report and to learn about the project’s methodology, visit wellbeingindex.sharecare.com/reports.

Sharecare is the leading digital health company that helps people – no matter where they are in their health journey – unify and manage all their health in one place. Our comprehensive and data-driven virtual health platform is designed to help people, providers, employers, health plans, government organizations, and communities optimize individual and population-wide well-being by driving positive behavior change. Driven by our philosophy that we are all together better, at Sharecare, we are committed to supporting each individual through the lens of their personal health and making high-quality care more accessible and affordable for everyone. To learn more, visit www.sharecare.com.

Founded in 1976, the Boston University School of Public Health is one of the top five ranked private schools of public health in the world. It offers master’s- and doctoral-level education in public health. The faculty in six departments conduct policy-changing public health research around the world, with the mission of improving the health of populations—especially the disadvantaged, underserved, and vulnerable—locally and globally.  

¹ Informed by WalletHub’s 2021 workforce resignation rates and trends

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