The greater Naples area has earned the top spot for “well-being” from among nearly 200 American cities, according to a survey by Gallup-Healthways.
The telephone-based survey of more than 350,000 adults nationwide asked how they were doing in their daily lives and how optimistic they were about their future.
Naples ranked seventh in last year’s survey, in which 100 of the most populous cities were ranked.
The questions ask about access to health care, medicine, food, insurance , dental care, finances and sense of community.
The responses are categorized into five subject areas based on how much people like what they do each day, their social networks of support, financial situations, whether they have pride in their community and their physical health.
The Naples/Marco Island/Immokalee area has an overall well-being score of 65, followed by Salinas, California, which came in second, with the same overall 65 ranking after rounding to a single decimal point.
The well-being index is calculated on a score of zero to 100, with 100 the highest score possible. All told, 190 cities are ranked this year.
“I think it is spectacular,” said Dr. Allen Weiss, president and chief executive officer of the NCH Healthcare System. “We should all be gratified we have an overwhelming chance to live longer, happier and healthier lives.”
Weiss has been the leading advocate for Naples to become a Blue Zones community to offer healthier opt ions in residents in their daily lives. The goal is for the healthier choice
to become the easier choice and improve health and longevity.
The local Blue Zones project is now supported by volunteer committees and four employees, and it is seen as a 10-year project.
When it comes to how Naples residents’ fare in their sense of purpose, Naples ranks fourth among the 190 cities; it ranks sixth when it comes to residents’ social network of support.
Naples ranked first for community pride.
When it comes to financial well-being, Naples ranked 18th, and it came in 15th for physical health.
“There still is room for improvement,” Weiss said. “It’s a journey.”
Coming in third place in the Gallup/Healthways survey is Northport/ S a r a s o t a/ B r a d en to n , with an overall score of 64.7. Fourth is Fort Collins, Colorado with an overall score of 64.6.
Ranking last in wellbeing is Charleston, West Virginia, with a well-being score of 57.1. Second-to last is Fort Smith, Arkansas, with an overall score of 58.2. The Blue Zones project locally will play into Naples’ future wellbeing, and getting more people to support the project will help, Weiss said.
Dan Witters, research director for Gallup-Healthways, said in an email that Naples this past year saw a better life evaluation score, where the number of residents who said they are “thriving” went from 53.3 percent to 55.6 percent.
In addition, more people have acquired insurance, a number that stood at 70.3 percent in last year’s survey and increased to 80.7 percent this year. More people report having a personal doctor, from a previous finding of 64.2 percent to 78.7 percent in the recent finding.
Weiss said he expects Naples’ top ranking for well-being will attract health-conscious people to select the area when they want to move to fast growing Florida — and that will increase economic opportunities locally.
Naples is walkable, safe, attractive and has a lot of community spirit, and those are key ingredients for people looking for the right place to live, he said.
“Having the best wellbeing index is impressive,” he said.
Healthways is a Nashville- based firm that works with companies and government entities to improve health. Its wellbeing index is a measurement tool used to assess Blue Zones communities.
Naples, Fla. (February 19, 2016) – Despite a slight decrease in overall pending and closed sales, other areas of the Naples real estate market continue to be moving into a stable, balanced market between buyers and sellers, according to the Naples Area Board of REALTORS® (NABOR®), which tracks home listings and sales within Collier County (excluding Marco Island).
