Finland picked as happiest country in the world, US not in the top 10

Finland was voted the happiest country in the world for the fifth straight year, and it is joined by other European countries in the annual World Happiness Report.

A publication of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the 10th edition of the report published on Friday ranked 146 countries in their overall happiness. Researchers say past data has looked at how citizens' trust in government and large institutions has played a major factor in a country's level of happiness.

"The World Happiness Report is changing the conversation about progress and wellbeing. It provides important snapshots of how people around the world feel about the overall quality of their lives," Christopher Barrington-Leigh, professor at McGill University in Quebec and a researcher involved in the report, said in a statement.

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Top 10 happiest countries

Using results from the Gallup World Poll, Finland was in first: It had an overall score of 7.821 out of 10, which was "significantly ahead" of all other countries. Northern Europe appeared to be one of the happiest regions in the world: All five Nordic countries – Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and Norway – ranked in the top eight.

Here are the top 10 countries and their score:

Finland- 7.821 Denmark- 7.636 Iceland- 7.557 Switzerland- 7.512 Netherlands- 7.415 Luxembourg- 7.404 Sweden- 7.384 Norway- 7.365 Israel- 7.364 New Zealand- 7.200

The 10 least happiest countries

The unhappiest country, according to the rankings, was Afghanistan, with a score of 2.404. Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, director of the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in England, said recent conflict in the country played a vital role in its ranking. In August, the Taliban took over the country after the U.S. military withdrawal.

"At the very bottom of the ranking we find societies that suffer from conflict and extreme poverty," De Neve said. "This presents a stark reminder of the material and immaterial damage that war does to its many victims and the fundamental importance of peace and stability for human well-being."

The data was collected well before Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February, but both countries were in the bottom half of the rankings, with Russia ranking 80th and Ukraine 98th.

Here are the 10 countries ranked in the bottom along with their score:

Afghanistan- 2.404 Lebanon- 2.955 Zimbabwe- 2.995 Rwanda- 3.268 Botswana- 3.471 Lesotho- 3.512 Sierra Leone- 3.574 Tanzania- 3.702 Malawi- 3.750 Zambia- 3.760

What about the United States?

The U.S. may not be in the top 10, but it's not far off, ranking 16th with a score of 6.977, just behind Canada but ahead of the United Kingdom. Canada is the happiest country in the Americas, according to the data.

The ranking is also the best ranking for the U.S. since 2017, when it was the 14th happiest. It's also a big jump from the 2021 report, when the U.S. ranked 19th with a score of 6.951.

Here are the past seven rankings for the U.S.:

2022: 16th

2021: 19th

2020: 18th

2019: 19th

2018: 18th

2017: 14th

2016: 13th

A surge in paying it forward

COVID-19 has taken its toll on nearly every country around the world for more than two years, and even though the pandemic hasn't ended with the emergence of a new coronavirus variant, researchers said people appeared to be more happy in 2021 than in 2020, when the pandemic began. Global worry and stress levels also were down from 2020.

John Helliwell, researcher and professor at the University of British Columbia, said the data showed globally, people were volunteering, helping and donating 25% more than they were before the pandemic.

"This surge of benevolence, which was especially great for the helping of strangers, provides powerful evidence that people respond to help others in need, creating in the process more happiness for the beneficiaries, good examples for others to follow, and better lives for themselves," Helliwell said.

Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.

Naples tops in the nation again for well-being, happiness

Liz Freeman

liz.freeman@naplesnews.com; 239-263-4778

Naples once again is tops when it comes to residents being happy and feeling good about life.

An annual Gallup-Healthways survey of 189 cities nationwide about well-being found Naples is No. 1 for its residents having the highest sense of purpose and a positive outlook, according to the findings.

Related link: View the survey

It is the second year in a row that Naples is at the top of the list.

Coming in second is Barnstable Town, Massachusetts, followed by Santa Cruz-Watsonville, California, inthird. Holding the fourth spot is Honolulu, Hawaii, and fifth is Charlottesville, Virginia, according to the findings.

At the opposite end, the cities with the lowest well-being are Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma; Hickory, North Carolina; and Huntington, West Virginia. Holding the fourth lowest well-being ranking is Topeka, Kansas, and fifth is Canton, Ohio.

Naples Mayor Bill Barnett said it’s great the community has stayed at the top spot.

“It is a wonderful honor for Naples to be named the No. 1 community in the country for well-being and happiness for the second year in a row,” Barnett said.

Another Florida community made the top 10. Northport/Sarasota came in sixth.

Besides a sense of purpose, the survey looks at four more measurements: how people feel about their social and financial standing, their community and their physical health.

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The rankings are based on telephone surveys of more than 354,400 people across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, which were conducted from Jan. 2, 2015, through Dec. 30, 2016.

“Naples had the highest number of residents thriving in community well-being, highest rates of healthy eating, lowest rates of daily stress, and lowest lifetime diagnoses of depression,” according to the survey findings.

Barnett said the Blue Zones Project has to be given credit for helping the community achieve the good standing.

“We are a walkable, bike-able, pedestrian-friendly city, and our citizens are focused on healthy living and learning about healthier lifestyles,” Barnett said.

Since 2015 Collier County has been pursuing a Blue Zones Project designation, sponsored by the NCH Healthcare System, where a large segment of individuals, businesses, government agencies and other organizations pledge to make enough changes in daily habits to improve their health and longevity.

The Blue Zones Project is based on the world travels of former National Geographic explorer Dan Buettner, who found there are nine common principles among people in communities around the world with the greatest longevity.

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The “power nine” include moving naturally by being physically active, knowing your purpose in life, taking time to relax, having a healthy social network and putting loved ones first.

Other principles include participating in a religious community, limiting alcohol consumption, eating a plant-slant diet and stopping to eat when you are 80 percent full.

Dr. Allen Weiss, president and chief executive officer of NCH, who introduced the Blue Zones Project to Collier, said he is pleased for the community by the Gallup-Healthways finding.

He pointed to the community having the lowest lifetime diagnoses of depression, healthy eating habits, sixth-lowest rate of obesity in the nation, low stress levels and long life expectancy.

Company ranks Florida sixth for affordable, entertaining retirement

“We have a lot of pride in our community,” Weiss said. “We have a great educational system. We have a safe community.”

All those pluses add up to Naples being a great place to live and attractive for people looking for a place to retire, he said.

“You can’t keep the secret,” Weiss said. “If you have someone deciding between us and Arizona and you are the healthiest and happiest community, I think it is a big part of the decision.”

Weiss said the community’s support of the Blue Zones project has been a huge help for Naples staying at the top of the Gallup-Healthways well-being survey.

Naples ranks as one of the best small town food scenes

To date, 75 businesses and other entities have gained Blue Zones certification, which means they have taken sufficient steps to make changes in their culture to be healthier.

Weiss said another 300 groups are in the process of getting certified, and 14,000 individuals and counting have signed a Blue Zones pledge to adopt healthier practices.

The Blue Zones Project contracts with the Nashville-based Healthways to help communities earn designation as a Blue Zones community.

Deb Logan, executive director of the local Blue Zones Project, said the community cannot rest on its laurels after earning the top spot for two years if it wants to keep its stellar status.

“We want to continue building on a strong foundation,” Logan said.

People in the community benefit from a good network of social connections, whether it’s from activities through their homeowner’s associations or faith-based groups, and that’s critical for improved well-being.

The ranking bodes well for people looking for a place to retire or for a business looking to relocate, she said.

“We know people are always going to move here regardless, and if you move here you will have a high sense of well-being,” she said.

In contrast, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has found that loneliness shaves seven years off the average lifespan, she said.

“It’s well-researched,” Logan said.

What is America's most miserable state? A ranking based on well ...

Evan Comen and Samuel Stebbins

24/7 Wall Street

2017 was a challenging year for many Americans. The well-being of the average American dropped more in 2017 than in any year since Gallup began tracking it in 2008.

The Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index is based on interviews with over 160,000 U.S. adults aged 18 and older, and is intended to capture how people feel about their lives and what they experience on a daily basis. The index consists of five categories: sense of purpose, social relationships, financial security, relationship to community and physical health.

Scores in each category vary greatly across the country. While residents in the Northeast, West, and Upper Midwest generally enjoy the highest levels of well-being in the country, the South and the Rust Belt are home to most states with the lowest well-being — and the regional divide is growing.

To determine America’s happiest and most miserable states, 24/7 Wall Street analyzed the results of the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index. Survey results from Gallup were paired with other socioeconomic data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, and other sources.

More: What city is hit hardest by extreme poverty in your state?

1. South Dakota

Residents who like what they do every day: 82.3% (the highest)

82.3% (the highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 78.0% (4th highest)

78.0% (4th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 61.5% (the highest)

61.5% (the highest) Poverty rate: 13.3% (24th highest)

13.3% (24th highest) Violent crime rate: 418.4 per 100,000 (19th highest)

According to a Gallup survey assessing different self-reported gauges of well-being, South Dakota ranks as the happiest state. State residents report a particularly high sense of purpose. In the survey, 82.3% of respondents agreed they liked what they do every day, 62.7% believed they have reached most of their goals in the past year, and 75.1% said they get to use their strengths in their daily work -- each the largest share of any state. South Dakota’s healthy job market may help some workers in the state find a job that best utilizes their talents. Just 3.3% of the workforce is unemployed, one of the lower unemployment rates in the country. State residents also rank highly in financial health and community pride.

2. Vermont

Residents who like what they do every day: 75.2% (21st highest)

75.2% (21st highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 79.3% (the highest)

79.3% (the highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 61.3% (2nd highest)

61.3% (2nd highest) Poverty rate: 11.9% (19th lowest)

11.9% (19th lowest) Violent crime rate: 158.3 per 100,000 (2nd lowest)

Based on a national survey assessing the five components of well-being -- sense of purpose, social relationships, financial security, relationship to community, and physical health -- Vermont residents are in better physical health than any other state. Nearly 60% of Vermont adults do not exercise regularly, the sixth largest share of any state. Similarly, 62.4% of respondents report eating a healthy amount of fruits and vegetables weekly, the third largest share in the country. Just 19.2% of adults are obese, less than the nationwide adult obesity rate of 28.2% and the lowest of any state.

When surveyed about their their community, 86.5% of Vermont respondents always feel safe and secure. The state's low violent crime rate likely contributes to the strong sense of safety among its residents. There were just 158 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2016, the second best of any state and less than half the national rate.

3. Hawaii

Residents who like what they do every day: 78.3% (4th highest)

78.3% (4th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 72.8% (6th lowest)

72.8% (6th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 55.4% (16th highest)

55.4% (16th highest) Poverty rate: 9.3% (2nd lowest)

9.3% (2nd lowest) Violent crime rate: 309.2 per 100,000 (21st lowest)

When surveyed about their sense of purpose, 78.3% of respondents in Hawaii agreed they like what they do every day, and 55.7% agreed that they reached most of their goals in the past year -- each some of the largest such shares of any state. One factor likely contributing to residents finding such a strong sense of purpose in their daily lives may be the state’s strong job market. Just 2.4% of Hawaii’s labor force is unemployed, the lowest unemployment rate among states.

Hawaii residents also report a higher degree of social well-being than those of all but two other states. Of state resident surveyed, 78.9% report receiving positive energy from their friends and family on a daily basis, the largest share of any state. Additionally, 76.9% of adults in the state have someone in their life that encourages them to be healthy, also the largest share of any state.

More: Cities where Americans are struggling to afford their homes

4. Minnesota

Residents who like what they do every day: 77.9% (5th highest)

77.9% (5th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 77.0% (7th highest)

77.0% (7th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.7% (21st highest)

54.7% (21st highest) Poverty rate: 9.9% (6th lowest)

9.9% (6th lowest) Violent crime rate: 242.6 per 100,000 (9th lowest)

Based on a national survey assessing the five components of well-being -- sense of purpose, social relationships, financial security, relationship to community, and physical health -- Minnesota residents have a stronger sense of financial security than residents of nearly any other state. Just 10.5% of respondents report not having enough money to buy food, the second lowest share after North Dakota. Also, 49.2% agree they have enough money to do everything they want -- the second highest share of any state other than North Dakota. The area's high median income is likely one factor contributing to the strong sense of financial security among Minnesota residents. The typical Minnesota household earns $65,599 a year, nearly $8,000 more than the national median household income. Just 9.9% of residents live in poverty, the sixth lowest poverty rate of any state.

5. North Dakota

Residents who like what they do every day: 81.6% (2nd highest)

81.6% (2nd highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 78.1% (3rd highest)

78.1% (3rd highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 57.7% (10th highest)

57.7% (10th highest) Poverty rate: 10.7% (10th lowest)

10.7% (10th lowest) Violent crime rate: 251.1 per 100,000 (13th lowest)

When asked about their financial security, less than half of survey respondents in North Dakota said a lack of money prevented them from doing everything they want to do, and 43.9% reported they had not worried about money in the past week -- each the smallest share of any state.

The state's high incomes, low cost of living, and low unemployment likely contribute to the strong sense of financial security among residents. The typical state household earns $60,656 a year, or about $3,000 more than the U.S. median household income. Goods and services cost 7.7% less in North Dakota than they do nationwide on average. Just 3.2% of the state's workforce is unemployed, less than the 4.9% national unemployment rate and the fifth lowest of any state.

6. Colorado

Residents who like what they do every day: 75.4% (16th highest)

75.4% (16th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.4% (21st highest)

75.4% (21st highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 57.1% (12th highest)

57.1% (12th highest) Poverty rate: 11.0% (12th lowest)

11.0% (12th lowest) Violent crime rate: 342.6 per 100,000 (23rd lowest)

Colorado residents report a higher sense of physical health than residents of any state other than Vermont. Only 20.8% of residents have had high blood pressure in their lifetime, and just 18.4% have had high cholesterol -- the smallest and second smallest such shares of any state. The positive health outcomes are likely due in part to the large number of outdoor recreational opportunities throughout Colorado and the healthy behaviors of state residents. An estimated 91.3% of the state's population has access to locations for physical activity such as gyms and parks, far more than the 84.0% national average. Some 62% of adults in Colorado get an appropriate amount of exercise each week, the second largest share among states.

7. New Hampshire

Residents who like what they do every day: 76.9% (7th highest)

76.9% (7th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.1% (23rd highest)

75.1% (23rd highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.5% (23rd highest)

54.5% (23rd highest) Poverty rate: 7.3% (the lowest)

7.3% (the lowest) Violent crime rate: 197.6 per 100,000 (3rd lowest)

In a national survey assessing the five components of well-being -- sense of purpose, social relationships, financial security, relationship to community, and physical health -- New Hampshire residents reported a higher degree of social well-being than nearly any other state. An estimated 52.5% of residents always make time for trips with friends and family, and 77.0% receive positive energy from their friends and family on a daily basis, the second and fourth largest shares of any state.

One factor that may contribute to the strong sense of social well-being may be the large share of children living in two-parent households, a factor that has been shown to have a positive effects on social development in numerous studies. Just 28.2% of children in New Hampshire live in single-parent households, far less than the 34% national share and the sixth smallest share nationwide.

8. Idaho

Residents who like what they do every day: 77.6% (6th highest)

77.6% (6th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.1% (24th highest)

75.1% (24th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.2% (22nd lowest)

54.2% (22nd lowest) Poverty rate: 14.4% (19th highest)

14.4% (19th highest) Violent crime rate: 230.3 per 100,000 (6th lowest)

An estimated 76.7% of Idaho residents are proud of their community or area they live in, the largest share of any state. Additionally, 74.6% of residents believe the area where they live is the perfect place for them, and 85.6% always feel safe and secure -- each the second largest share nationwide. Idaho’s low violent crime rate may partially contribute to the strong sense of community pride and safety among state residents. There were just 230 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2016, far less than the national violent crime rate of 397 incidents per 100,000 Americans and the sixth lowest of any state. Idahoans also report a stronger sense of financial security, physical health, and purpose than a majority of states.

9. Utah

Residents who like what they do every day: 76.7% (9th highest)

76.7% (9th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 77.0% (8th highest)

77.0% (8th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.2% (24th lowest)

54.2% (24th lowest) Poverty rate: 10.2% (7th lowest)

10.2% (7th lowest) Violent crime rate: 242.8 per 100,000 (10th lowest)

There were just 243 violent crimes per 100,000 Utah residents in 2016, the 10th lowest violent crime rate of any state and far less than the national rate of 397 incidents per 100,000 Americans. In most states with low violent crime rates, residents report a stronger sense of safety and community pride. In Utah, 82.5% of survey respondents agree they always feel safe and secure, and 69.3% of respondents believe the area where they live is the perfect place for them -- the ninth and eighth largest shares of any state. Additionally, 73.6% of respondents say they are proud of their community, the third largest share in the nation.

Residents also have a strong sense of financial security, with only 6.4% reporting dissatisfaction over their standard of living -- the smallest share nationwide. Just 4.2% of households in Utah earn less than $10,000 a year, the third lowest such share of any state.

More: Population migration patterns: US cities Americans are abandoning

10. Montana

Residents who like what they do every day: 75.6% (13th highest)

75.6% (13th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 77.2% (5th highest)

77.2% (5th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 53.8% (20th lowest)

53.8% (20th lowest) Poverty rate: 13.3% (24th highest)

13.3% (24th highest) Violent crime rate: 368.3 per 100,000 (25th lowest)

Montana residents report a stronger sense of community than a majority of states. Only 5.4% of survey respondents report that they do not always feel safe and secure, the second smallest share in the country. Additionally, 68.9% of residents are proud of the area where they live, more than the 65.1% national average.

Montana residents also report some of the best health outcomes and behaviors of any state. An estimated 62.1% of residents exercise for at least 30 minutes three days a week, far more than the 55.0% national average and the largest share in the country. Only 24.5% of adults have had high blood pressure, and just 21.5% have had high cholesterol, each some of the smallest shares nationwide.

11. Massachusetts

Residents who like what they do every day: 74.1% (20th lowest)

74.1% (20th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.8% (25th highest)

74.8% (25th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 59.4% (3rd highest)

59.4% (3rd highest) Poverty rate: 10.4% (9th lowest)

10.4% (9th lowest) Violent crime rate: 376.9 per 100,000 (23rd highest)

The typical Massachusetts household earns $75,297 a year, nearly the highest state median. Partly as a result, state residents are more likely than most Americans to be satisfied with their personal finances. Some 48% of survey respondents in the state say have enough money to do everything they want compared to only 42% of Americans nationwide.

A large segment of the Massachusetts population also benefits from strong communities. A low property crime rate is one of the hallmarks of a region where residents report relatively high well-being, and in Massachusetts there are just 1,561 property crimes per 100,000 residents, compared to the U.S. rate of 2,451 per 100,000. Indeed, 82.1% of adults in the state feel safe, a greater share than in the vast majority of states.

12. Florida

Residents who like what they do every day: 75.3% (18th highest)

75.3% (18th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.5% (18th highest)

75.5% (18th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 57.7% (9th highest)

57.7% (9th highest) Poverty rate: 14.7% (16th highest)

14.7% (16th highest) Violent crime rate: 430.3 per 100,000 (18th highest)

When asked about their social relationships, 50.7% of Florida residents agreed that they always make time for trips with their friends and family, the seventh largest share of any state. Florida residents also report a strong sense of purpose. An estimated 66.8% of adults learn or do something interesting every day, and 55.2% believe they have reached most of their goals in the last year -- each some of the largest shares of any state.

While factors such as low unemployment and high educational attainment can promote a strong sense of purpose across a population, Florida is fairly unremarkable in both of these categories. The state’s unemployment rate of 4.2% is in line with the national figure. Additionally, 28.6% of adults have a bachelor’s degree, less than the 31.3% national college attainment rate.

13. Texas

Residents who like what they do every day: 76.9% (8th highest)

76.9% (8th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.7% (16th highest)

75.7% (16th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 57.1% (11th highest)

57.1% (11th highest) Poverty rate: 15.6% (12th highest)

15.6% (12th highest) Violent crime rate: 434.4 per 100,000 (17th highest)

Texas residents report a stronger sense of purpose than any state other than South Dakota. Approximately 77% of residents like what they do every day, and 70% believe they get to use their strengths on a daily basis, each some of the largest shares of any state. While residents in states with high educational attainment and low unemployment tend to report the strongest sense of purpose, Texas is relatively lacking in both of these categories. Just 82.9% of state adults have a high school diploma, the second smallest share in the country. Additionally, 4.3% of workers are unemployed, nearly in line with the 4.4% national unemployment rate.

Texas residents also report a stronger sense of social well-being, community, and physical health than a majority of states.

14. California

Residents who like what they do every day: 75.5% (14th highest)

75.5% (14th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 73.9% (11th lowest)

73.9% (11th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 57.9% (8th highest)

57.9% (8th highest) Poverty rate: 14.3% (20th highest)

14.3% (20th highest) Violent crime rate: 445.3 per 100,000 (15th highest)

California residents report a higher degree of physical well-being than residents of any state other than Colorado and Vermont. High health status among adults is partially attributable to some good habits and the scarcity of some bad ones. For example, only 13.8% of adults in the state smoke, the third smallest share among states.

Additionally, 93.5% of the state population has access to locations for physical activity such as gyms and parks, the fourth largest share nationwide. Such access likely works to boost physical activity rates. Some 59% of adults in the state exercise regularly throughout the week, a larger share than in all but eight other states.

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15. Arizona

Residents who like what they do every day: 78.5% (3rd highest)

78.5% (3rd highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 76.7% (10th highest)

76.7% (10th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.8% (19th highest)

54.8% (19th highest) Poverty rate: 16.4% (8th highest)

16.4% (8th highest) Violent crime rate: 470.1 per 100,000 (12th highest)

In a national survey assessing the five components of well-being, Arizona residents reported a stronger sense of purpose than nearly any other state. An estimated 68.7% of adults in the state learn or do something interesting every day, and 78.5% like what they do every day -- the largest and third largest share of any state. While the opportunity to find a job that matches an individual’s strengths and abilities can lead to a stronger sense of purpose, Arizona has one of the worst job markets in the country. The state’s unemployment rate of 4.8% is somewhat higher than the 4.4% national figure.

Arizona residents also report stronger social relationships than most states. An estimated 75.3% of adults have someone in their lives who encourages them to be healthy, the sixth largest share in the country.

16. Wyoming

Residents who like what they do every day: 76.0% (11th highest)

76.0% (11th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 79.1% (2nd highest)

79.1% (2nd highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 53.9% (21st lowest)

53.9% (21st lowest) Poverty rate: 11.3% (14th lowest)

11.3% (14th lowest) Violent crime rate: 244.2 per 100,000 (11th lowest)

One of the strongest indicators of a community’s well-being is the prevalence of crime. There were 244 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in Wyoming in 2016, far less than the national violent crime rate of 397 incidents per 100,000 Americans. When surveyed about their community, 84.7% of respondents in Wyoming agreed they always feel safe and secure, the third largest share of any state. Additionally, 70.9% of respondents claimed to be proud of their community, the fifth largest share. In addition to positive relationship with their community, Wyoming residents report a stronger sense of purpose and financial security than the residents of a majority of states.

17. Nebraska

Residents who like what they do every day: 76.2% (10th highest)

76.2% (10th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.6% (17th highest)

75.6% (17th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 55.0% (18th highest)

55.0% (18th highest) Poverty rate: 11.4% (15th lowest)

11.4% (15th lowest) Violent crime rate: 291.0 per 100,000 (17th lowest)

Nebraska residents report a stronger sense of community than a majority of states. An estimated 83.5% of adults always feel safe and secure, the sixth largest share of any state and far more than the 77.4% national average. One factor contributing to the shared sense of safety among residents may be the state’s low violent crime rate. There were just 291 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2016, far less than the national violent crime rate of 397 incidents per 100,000 Americans.

Nebraska residents also report a higher degree of financial security than most states. While Nebraska’s median household income is roughly in line with the national figure, goods and services cost 9.5% less in the state than they do nationwide. The low cost of living may contribute to the lack of financial worry.

18. Virginia

Residents who like what they do every day: 75.2% (20th highest)

75.2% (20th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.8% (24th lowest)

74.8% (24th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 56.8% (13th highest)

56.8% (13th highest) Poverty rate: 11.0% (12th lowest)

11.0% (12th lowest) Violent crime rate: 217.6 per 100,000 (4th lowest)

Wealthier Americans are more likely to report feeling financially secure and are more likely to enjoy a higher degree of well-being overall. In Virginia, 9.3% of households earn more than $200,000 annually, the sixth largest share of any state. The typical household in the state earns $68,114 a year, over $10,000 more than the national median. The state's high incomes are likely one reason why only 32.7% of adults in Virginia regularly worry about money and only 32.6% believe they do not have enough money to do everything they want to do, each among the smaller shares of any state.

Virginians also report a high degree of physical well-being. An estimated 56% exercise regularly, and 60% of adults have at least five servings of fruits and four servings of vegetables a week, each larger than the corresponding national averages. Just 24.4% of adults report having physical pain, the eighth smallest share in the country.

19. North Carolina

Residents who like what they do every day: 74.2% (21st lowest)

74.2% (21st lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.2% (22nd highest)

75.2% (22nd highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 53.5% (18th lowest)

53.5% (18th lowest) Poverty rate: 15.4% (13th highest)

15.4% (13th highest) Violent crime rate: 372.2 per 100,000 (25th highest)

North Carolina residents report a strong sense of purpose and social well-being. Approximately 55% of adults in the state believe they have reached most of their goals in the past 12 months, one of the larger shares of any state. Additionally, 77% of adults believe they receive positive energy from their friends and family on a daily basis, the sixth largest share nationwide.

Despite a strong sense of purpose and social well-being, North Carolinians report a relatively low degree of financial security. In the state, 36% of respondents said they do not have enough money to do everything they want to do. The typical North Carolina household earns about $7,000 less than the national median income, and 15.4% of residents live in poverty -- one of the larger shares of any state.

20. Connecticut

Residents who like what they do every day: 75.4% (17th highest)

75.4% (17th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.0% (13th lowest)

74.0% (13th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 58.0% (7th highest)

58.0% (7th highest) Poverty rate: 9.8% (4th lowest)

9.8% (4th lowest) Violent crime rate: 227.1 per 100,000 (5th lowest)

Connecticut residents are slightly more likely to look after their physical health than the typical American. Adults are less likely to smoke, more likely to eat healthy, and less likely to be obese than adults in the majority of other states. The healthy behaviors appear to be having a positive effect as 58% of adults in the state view their own health as near perfect, slightly more than the 55% share of adults nationwide.

Connecticut’s adults are also more likely than most to report a high level of financial well-being. The typical household in the state earns $73,433 a year, about $16,000 that the national median. The higher incomes help a greater share of Connecticut residents to live within their means. Some 45% of survey respondents have enough money to do everything they want to compared to 42% respondents across all states.

More: Which manufacturers are bringing the most jobs back to America?

21. Iowa

Residents who like what they do every day: 75.2% (19th highest)

75.2% (19th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.9% (14th highest)

75.9% (14th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 52.0% (11th lowest)

52.0% (11th lowest) Poverty rate: 11.8% (18th lowest)

11.8% (18th lowest) Violent crime rate: 290.6 per 100,000 (16th lowest)

Adults in Iowa are less likely than the typical American adult to benefit every day from relationships with their friends and family. They are also more likely than adult residents of most other states to be active and productive every day and be in near perfect physical health. Though Iowa lags in certain measures of physical health and social connections, the state has relatively strong outcomes in financial and community well-being.

Despite the state’s unremarkable median household income of $56,247 a year, 47.7% of survey respondents in the state have enough money to do everything they want, the fourth largest share among states. That is likely thanks to a low cost of living. Goods and services are about 10% less expensive in the state than they are on average nationwide. The state also boasts far lower than average crime rates, and partly as a result, 83.2% of those surveyed in Iowa always feel safe and secure -- well above the 77.4% share of respondents nationwide.

22. Washington

Residents who like what they do every day: 74.7% (25th highest)

74.7% (25th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.6% (19th lowest)

74.6% (19th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 52.4% (14th lowest)

52.4% (14th lowest) Poverty rate: 11.3% (14th lowest)

11.3% (14th lowest) Violent crime rate: 302.2 per 100,000 (19th lowest)

Washington state residents report a relatively strong sense of physical health and financial security. Approximately 58% of adults exercise for at least 30 minutes three days a week, and 61% have eat a healthy amount of fruits and vegetables on a weekly basis, each some of the largest shares in the country. Just 33% of adults frequently worry about money on a weekly basis, one of the smaller shares among states.

While Washington residents have healthy behaviors and relatively strong financial security, they report a relatively weak sense of purpose and social well-being. Only 52% of adults believe they have reached most of their goals in the past year, and just 72% have people in their lives who encourage them to be healthy -- each some of the smaller shares of any state. Overall, Washington residents report a level of well-being that is about in line with the United States as a whole.

23. New York

Residents who like what they do every day: 73.7% (16th lowest)

73.7% (16th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 72.7% (4th lowest)

72.7% (4th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 59.1% (4th highest)

59.1% (4th highest) Poverty rate: 14.7% (16th highest)

14.7% (16th highest) Violent crime rate: 376.2 per 100,000 (24th highest)

New York state ranks better in overall physical well-being than any other measure. Adults in the state are less likely to smoke and more likely to eat healthy on a regular basis than those in most other states. Healthy behaviors can lead to healthy outcomes, and 59.1% of respondents in the state perceive their health to be near perfect, the fourth largest share of any state.

In other measures of well-being, New York state is lagging. Of adults surveyed, just 57% said they do not have someone in their life that made them enthusiastic about the future, one of the smaller shares of any state. Also, a smaller than typical 73.7% share of adults who like what they do every day further undermines the state’s ranking for a strong sense of purpose.

24. Maine

Residents who like what they do every day: 73.5% (14th lowest)

73.5% (14th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 77.1% (6th highest)

77.1% (6th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 49.1% (5th lowest)

49.1% (5th lowest) Poverty rate: 12.5% (21st lowest)

12.5% (21st lowest) Violent crime rate: 123.8 per 100,000 (the lowest)

There were 124 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in Maine in 2016, the lowest violent crime rate of any state and less than one-third of the national rate. A lack of violent crime can instill residents with a sense of safety and security, and approximately 82% of Maine adults report always feeling safe and secure, the 10th largest share in the country. Additionally, 70% of adults agree that the area where they live is the perfect place for them, and 71% are proud of their community -- the seventh and sixth largest shares of any state.

While Maine residents report a strong feeling of community pride, they also report the weakest sense of purpose of nearly any state. Just 63% of adults believe they learn or do something interesting every day, the 10th smallest share of any state.

25. Alaska

Residents who like what they do every day: 74.3% (25th lowest)

74.3% (25th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 72.8% (5th lowest)

72.8% (5th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 53.7% (19th lowest)

53.7% (19th lowest) Poverty rate: 9.9% (6th lowest)

9.9% (6th lowest) Violent crime rate: 804.2 per 100,000 (the highest)

The typical Alaska household earns $76,440 a year, the second most of any state and over $20,000 more than the national median. The high incomes likely instill a sense of financial security in Alaska residents. Just 29.3% of Alaska adults report having recently worried about money, the second smallest share of any state.

While most of Alaska residents report a shared feeling of financial security, many adults in the state lack a strong sense of purpose. Approximately 15% do not believe they get to use their strengths on a daily basis, and 24% believe they have not reached most of their goals in the past year -- each some of the largest shares nationwide.

26. New Mexico

Residents who like what they do every day: 75.7% (12th highest)

75.7% (12th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.3% (16th lowest)

74.3% (16th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 58.7% (5th highest)

58.7% (5th highest) Poverty rate: 19.8% (3rd highest)

19.8% (3rd highest) Violent crime rate: 702.5 per 100,000 (2nd highest)

New Mexico ranks far worse than most states in measures of healthy communities and residents’ financial stability. For example, just 57.9% of respondents in the state are proud of where they live, and 73.1% always feel safe and secure -- each among the lowest such shares of any state. Measures of community pride and perceptions of safety are likely hurt by the state's high crime rate. There were 703 violent crimes in New Mexico for every 100,000 residents in 2016, the second highest rate nationwide. Additionally, poorer Americans are far less likely to report a high sense of well-being, and in New Mexico, 19.8% of the population lives in poverty, the third largest share of any state.

Despite some considerable socioeconomic hurdles, adults in New Mexico tend to have a strong sense of purpose. Survey results reveal that adults in the state are more likely than most to enjoy what they do, use their strengths, and learn something new -- each on a daily basis.

27. Wisconsin

Residents who like what they do every day: 74.3% (23rd lowest)

74.3% (23rd lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.3% (14th lowest)

74.3% (14th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 52.2% (13th lowest)

52.2% (13th lowest) Poverty rate: 11.8% (18th lowest)

11.8% (18th lowest) Violent crime rate: 305.9 per 100,000 (20th lowest)

While the typical Wisconsin household earns roughly the same amount as the typical U.S. household, the low cost of living in the state -- goods and services cost 7% less in Wisconsin than they do nationwide -- may instill a sense of financial security. Just 12% of adults in the state believe they do not have enough money to buy food, the seventh smallest share in the country.

While Wisconsin residents are relatively free of financial troubles, they report a low degree of social well-being. Only 68% of adults believe they have someone in their lives who encourages them to be healthy, the third smallest share of any state.

More: Wage potential: Highest paying jobs you can get without a college degree

28. New Jersey

Residents who like what they do every day: 74.1% (19th lowest)

74.1% (19th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 73.6% (10th lowest)

73.6% (10th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 58.3% (6th highest)

58.3% (6th highest) Poverty rate: 10.4% (9th lowest)

10.4% (9th lowest) Violent crime rate: 245.0 per 100,000 (12th lowest)

The typical New Jersey household earns $76,126 year, or about $19,000 more than national median. Despite the higher incomes, personal finance is a source of stress for a large share of Garden State residents. Some 35% of respondents in have worried about money in the last seven days, a larger share than in most states. Adults in the state may struggle to live within their means due to a high cost of living. Goods and services are 13.4% more expensive on average in New Jersey than they are nationwide, nearly the highest cost of living among states.

Perhaps the most important pillar of overall well-being is a strong sense of purpose, and many adults in New Jersey are lacking that sense in their lives. For example, just 55.4% of respondents in the state have a leader in their life that makes them feel enthusiastic about the future, well below the 59.5% share of American adults. State residents are also less likely than most Americans to set and reach goals each year and use their strengths to realize their potential on a daily basis.

29. Tennessee

Residents who like what they do every day: 74.8% (23rd highest)

74.8% (23rd highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 76.8% (9th highest)

76.8% (9th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 53.3% (17th lowest)

53.3% (17th lowest) Poverty rate: 15.8% (11th highest)

15.8% (11th highest) Violent crime rate: 632.9 per 100,000 (4th highest)

Americans with lower incomes are less likely to report a high level of well-being, and in Tennessee, the median annual household income of $48,547 is about $9,000 below the median U.S. income. The larger than typical share of state residents who struggle to afford food, at 16.7%, underscores the financial hardship many in the state face.

When it comes to personal well-being, money is often less important than a strong sense of purpose, and in Tennessee, 64.1% of respondents have a leader in their life who makes them enthusiastic about the future, the sixth largest share among states. Adults in the state are also more likely than most to learn something new and enjoy their work on a daily basis.

30. Maryland

Residents who like what they do every day: 74.3% (22nd lowest)

74.3% (22nd lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 73.6% (9th lowest)

73.6% (9th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 55.2% (17th highest)

55.2% (17th highest) Poverty rate: 9.7% (3rd lowest)

9.7% (3rd lowest) Violent crime rate: 472.0 per 100,000 (11th highest)

WIth a $78,945 a year median household income, Maryland is the highest earning state in the country. Despite the high incomes, financial concerns are just as common in the state as they are in much of the country. Of adults in the state, 34.1% worry about money on a weekly basis, in line with the 34.0% share of American adults. A high cost of living may make it more difficult for many in the state to live within their means. Goods and services are about 10% more expensive in Maryland than they are on average nationwide.

A poor sense of community further undermines overall well-being across Maryland. Just 71.8% of state residents always feel safe and secure, the third smallest share among states. Additionally, just 62.1% of adults in the state are proud of their community compared to 65.1% of American adults.

31. Georgia

Residents who like what they do every day: 73.6% (15th lowest)

73.6% (15th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.8% (25th lowest)

74.8% (25th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.4% (24th highest)

54.4% (24th highest) Poverty rate: 16.0% (10th highest)

16.0% (10th highest) Violent crime rate: 397.6 per 100,000 (21st highest)

Remaining healthy can be critical to overall well-being. A relatively large share of Georgia residents do not take especially good care of themselves. Just 59.7% of respondents eat healthy all day compared to 62.9% of respondents across all state. Additionally, 18.8% of adults smoke, 1 percentage point higher than the U.S. smoking rate. Likely partially as a result, adults in Georgia are more likely to be overweight or obese than American adults on average and less likely to assess their own health as near perfect.

Personal finances also undermine the overall well-being of a relatively large share of Georgia residents. Of those surveyed, 17.5% report struggling to afford food, compared to 15.7% of respondents nationwide.

32. Michigan

Residents who like what they do every day: 73.1% (9th lowest)

73.1% (9th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.7% (22nd lowest)

74.7% (22nd lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 52.8% (16th lowest)

52.8% (16th lowest) Poverty rate: 15.0% (15th highest)

15.0% (15th highest) Violent crime rate: 459.0 per 100,000 (13th highest)

In well-being measures such as having a sense of purpose, supportive social connections, community pride, and sufficient finances the typical adult in Michigan closely resembles the profile of the typical adult nationwide. However, when it comes to physical health, state adult residents are more likely than the typical American adult to report lower well-being. About 1 in 5 survey respondents smoke compared to 17.8% of adults nationwide. Adults in Michigan are also less likely to exercise regularly and more likely to be obese than the typical American adult.

Such unhealthy behaviors appear to be taking a toll. Adults in Michigan are more likely than the typical American adult to report suffering from physical pain. The share of adults in the state who have had cancer, high blood pressure, or depression are all higher than the comparable U.S. shares.

33. Kansas

Residents who like what they do every day: 74.9% (22nd highest)

74.9% (22nd highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.4% (17th lowest)

74.4% (17th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.2% (25th lowest)

54.2% (25th lowest) Poverty rate: 12.1% (20th lowest)

12.1% (20th lowest) Violent crime rate: 380.4 per 100,000 (22nd highest)

The typical Kansas household earns $54,935 a year, nearly $3,000 less than the national median of $57,617. Adjusted for the cost of living, however -- goods and services cost on average 9.6% less in Kansas than they do nationwide -- incomes in Kansas are higher than in a majority of states. When surveyed about their financial security, only 32.1% of adults in Kansas said they do not have enough money to do everything they want to do, one of the smallest shares of any state.

While Kansas residents report a relatively high degree of financial security, they have a weaker sense of social well-being than nearly any other state. Only 69.7% of adults believe they have someone in their lives who encourages them to be healthy, the sixth smallest share in the country. Kansas residents may be missing the opportunity for social connection in daily aspect -- their daily commute. An estimated 82.2% of commuters in the state drive to work alone, far more than the 76.6% national average.

34. Pennsylvania

Residents who like what they do every day: 74.8% (24th highest)

74.8% (24th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.4% (20th highest)

75.4% (20th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.6% (22nd highest)

54.6% (22nd highest) Poverty rate: 12.9% (23rd lowest)

12.9% (23rd lowest) Violent crime rate: 316.4 per 100,000 (22nd lowest)

Maintaining good physical health can be critical to overall well-being, and a relatively large share of adults in Pennsylvania do not take especially good care of themselves. For example, just 52.7% of adults in the Keystone State exercise for at least a half hour three or more days per week, nearly the smallest share of any state. Additionally, 19.2% smoke compared to just 17.8% of adults nationwide.

Pennsylvania residents are also less likely than most to have good relationship with their community. Some 62.6% of survey respondents agreed that their city is the perfect place for them, slightly lower than national share. Additionally, just 18.4% of survey respondents in Pennsylvania have received recognition for helping to the city or area where they live in the last year, the sixth smallest share of any state.

More: Are these the worst cities to live in? Study looks at quality of life across the U.S.

35. Oregon

Residents who like what they do every day: 73.4% (12th lowest)

73.4% (12th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.6% (21st lowest)

74.6% (21st lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 51.6% (10th lowest)

51.6% (10th lowest) Poverty rate: 13.3% (24th highest)

13.3% (24th highest) Violent crime rate: 264.6 per 100,000 (14th lowest)

A sense of purpose is one important factor of overall well-being. In Oregon, residents report a weaker sense of purpose than any state other than Rhode Island. Only 65% of adults believe they get to use their natural strengths on a daily basis, and just 54% agree that they know someone in a leadership role who makes them enthusiastic about their future, the fourth and fifth smallest shares, respectively, of any state.

Oregon residents also report higher levels of financial insecurity than a majority of states. While the typical household in the state earns $57,532 a year -- roughly equivalent to the national median -- about 36% of adults regularly worry about money, the third largest share in the country. Additionally, just 71% of adults are satisfied with their standard of living, the fifth smallest share.

36. Illinois

Residents who like what they do every day: 75.5% (15th highest)

75.5% (15th highest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.9% (15th highest)

75.9% (15th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 55.6% (15th highest)

55.6% (15th highest) Poverty rate: 13.0% (24th lowest)

13.0% (24th lowest) Violent crime rate: 436.3 per 100,000 (16th highest)

The typical household in Illinois earns $60,960 a year, over $3,000 more than the national median of $57,617. Income is one the primary determinants of financial security, and 45% of adults in the state believe they have enough money to do everything they want to do -- one of the larger shares of any state.

While Illinois residents report a strong sense of financial security and relatively average social well-being, sense of purpose, and physical health, they have a weaker relationship with their community than nearly any other state. Only 57% of adults believe the area where they live is the perfect place for them, and just 75% agree they always feel safe and secure, each the seventh smallest share of any state. One factor that can erode community bonds is violent crime. Chicago is one of the most dangerous cities in the country, and throughout the state there were 436 violent crimes per 100,000 Illinois residents in 2016 -- one of the higher crime rates among states.

37. South Carolina

Residents who like what they do every day: 73.0% (8th lowest)

73.0% (8th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.5% (19th highest)

75.5% (19th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.2% (23rd lowest)

54.2% (23rd lowest) Poverty rate: 15.3% (14th highest)

15.3% (14th highest) Violent crime rate: 501.8 per 100,000 (10th highest)

The typical South Carolina household earns just $49,501 a year, over $8,000 less than the national median household income of $57,617. Low incomes are likely to contribute to a sense of financial stress and insecurity among residents. In South Carolina, approximately 35% of surveyed residents said they worry about money on a regular basis and 12% said they are not satisfied with their standard of living -- each some of the larger shares of any state.

Income is one of the primary determinants of health, and state residents also report some of the worst health behaviors and outcomes of any state. Only 60% of adults believe they eat healthy all day, one of the largest shares in the country. Additionally, 23% do not believe that they feel active and productive on a daily basis, the seventh largest share of any state. Overall, 405 in every 100,000 South Carolina residents die before the age of 75 -- the ninth highest premature mortality rate nationwide.

38. Alabama

Residents who like what they do every day: 73.2% (11th lowest)

73.2% (11th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.3% (15th lowest)

74.3% (15th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 49.7% (6th lowest)

49.7% (6th lowest) Poverty rate: 17.1% (7th highest)

17.1% (7th highest) Violent crime rate: 532.3 per 100,000 (7th highest)

Both physical and financial health can be critical to personal well-being, and a relatively large share of adults in Alabama do not benefit from either. Just 37.6% of respondents in the state agree they have enough money to do everything they want, the third smallest share of any state. Low incomes are partially to blame for the financial insecurity as about 1 in 10 Alabama households live on $10,000 or less a year compared to 6.7% of American households. Poor physical health is also relatively common in Alabama. The shares of adults suffering from physical pain and the share who have struggled with high blood pressure or high cholesterol are each some of the largest in the country.

While Alabama lags behind most states in measures of overall well-being, state residents are not lacking in having a sense of purpose. For example, a near nation-leading 65.2% of survey respondents in Alabama have a leader in their life that makes them enthusiastic about the future, well above the 59.5% U.S. average.

39. Missouri

Residents who like what they do every day: 73.1% (10th lowest)

73.1% (10th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 75.9% (13th highest)

75.9% (13th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.4% (25th highest)

54.4% (25th highest) Poverty rate: 14.0% (22nd highest)

14.0% (22nd highest) Violent crime rate: 519.4 per 100,000 (8th highest)

Certain healthy behaviors can be critical to maintaining good physical health, and adults in Missouri are among the least likely to engage in such behaviors. Just 54.2% of respondents in the state eat enough fruits and vegetables on a weekly basis, the fifth smallest share among states. Additionally, only 53.6% of adults in the state get enough exercise, slightly less than the 55.0% of American adults nationwide. Likely partially as a result, Missouri residents are less likely to assess their own health as near-perfect than the typical American adult.

Learning new things every day and relying on your strengths to realize your full potential can greatly increase your sense of purpose. In Missouri, just 65.2% of adults use their strengths every day, and 62.2% learn or do something interesting every day -- below the respective 67.5% and 64.8% shares of American adults.

40. Delaware

Residents who like what they do every day: 71.4% (4th lowest)

71.4% (4th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 72.2% (3rd lowest)

72.2% (3rd lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 54.7% (20th highest)

54.7% (20th highest) Poverty rate: 11.7% (16th lowest)

11.7% (16th lowest) Violent crime rate: 508.8 per 100,000 (9th highest)

The typical Delaware household earns $61,757 a year, over $4,000 more than the national median. While high incomes generally provide residents with a feeling of financial security, adults in Delaware report a higher degree of financial stress than nearly any other state. Approximately 36% of adults regularly worry about money, and 13% are unsatisfied with their standard of living -- the fourth and fifth largest shares in the country.

Delaware residents also report far less community pride than the average American. Only 60% of adults in Delaware are proud of their community, and just 73% always feel safe and secure -- the fifth and fourth smallest shares of any state. One factor eroding the relationship between Delaware residents and their community may be the state’s high violent crime rate. There were 509 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2016, the ninth highest rate of any state.

41. Rhode Island

Residents who like what they do every day: 74.3% (24th lowest)

74.3% (24th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 68.5% (the lowest)

68.5% (the lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 56.2% (14th highest)

56.2% (14th highest) Poverty rate: 12.8% (22nd lowest)

12.8% (22nd lowest) Violent crime rate: 238.9 per 100,000 (8th lowest)

While some states in the New England regions, like New Hampshire and Vermont, rank among the states with the highest levels of well-being, nearby Rhode ranks among the lowest. Having a sense of purpose is the most important component of personal well-being, and no state ranks lower in sense of purpose than Rhode Island. Just 50.8% of adults in the state have a leader in their life who makes them feel enthusiastic about the future, the smallest share of any state and well below the comparable 59.5% U.S. share. Similarly, only 48.8% of respondents in the state reached most of their goals in the last year, and 60.4% claim to learn or do something interesting every day -- each the third smallest shares among states.

Unfulfilling social connections may undermine residents’ sense of purpose. Just 69.9% of adults in the state get positive energy from friends and family every day, the smallest share of any state.

More: Who is getting paid more? 16 states where personal incomes are booming

42. Indiana

Residents who like what they do every day: 73.9% (17th lowest)

73.9% (17th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 76.2% (11th highest)

76.2% (11th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 51.4% (8th lowest)

51.4% (8th lowest) Poverty rate: 14.1% (21st highest)

14.1% (21st highest) Violent crime rate: 404.7 per 100,000 (20th highest)

Indiana residents’ overall well-being is undermined in part by a relatively weak connection to the community. Just 62.2% of adults in the state are proud of their community, a smaller share than in the vast majority of states. Without pride in one's community, the desire to improve it also may be weak. Just 18.4% of survey respondents in the state report receiving recognition for helping to improve their town or community in the last year, the fourth smallest share among states.

Physical health is also an important part of overall well-being, and a relatively large share of Indiana residents are unhealthy. Just 51.4% of adults in the state assess their own physical health as near perfect, the eighth smallest share among states. Similarly, just 64.2% of adults in the state have felt happy and productive in each of the last seven days, the sixth smallest share of any state.

43. Nevada

Residents who like what they do every day: 73.5% (13th lowest)

73.5% (13th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.0% (12th lowest)

74.0% (12th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 50.7% (7th lowest)

50.7% (7th lowest) Poverty rate: 13.8% (23rd highest)

13.8% (23rd highest) Violent crime rate: 678.1 per 100,000 (3rd highest)

A strong sense of community can go a long way to support personal well-being, but relatively few residents in Nevada feel a close connection to their community. Only 59.4% of respondents are proud of their community, the fourth smallest share of any state. Community pride across the state may be undercut by perceptions of danger. Just 69.5% of adults in the state always feel safe and secure, the second smallest share of any state. Concerns over safety are not unwarranted. There are 678 violent crimes for every 100,000 residents in Nevada per year, well above the U.S. violent crime rate of 397 per 100,000.

Well-being in Nevada is further undermined by fewer strong personal relationships. For example, just 71.9% of adults get positive energy from friends and family every day, the fifth smallest share of any state.

44. Ohio

Residents who like what they do every day: 71.8% (5th lowest)

71.8% (5th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 73.1% (7th lowest)

73.1% (7th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 52.0% (12th lowest)

52.0% (12th lowest) Poverty rate: 14.6% (18th highest)

14.6% (18th highest) Violent crime rate: 300.3 per 100,000 (18th lowest)

A sense of purpose is perhaps the most critical pillar of personal well-being, and a relatively large share of Ohio adults are missing a sense of purpose. For example, just 71.8% of adults in the state like what they do every day, and only 64.4% use their strengths daily to realize their full potential, the fifth and third smallest shares of any state respectively.

Ohio residents are also among the least likely Americans to feel a close connection to their community. Just 59.2% of survey respondents in the state agree that their community or city is the perfect place for them, a considerably smaller share than the 63.7% of Americans who do. Adults in Ohio are also relatively unlikely to make efforts to improve their neighborhoods. Only 17.3% of respondents in the Buckeye State have received recognition in the last year for improving their community, the second smallest share of any state.

45. Kentucky

Residents who like what they do every day: 70.6% (2nd lowest)

70.6% (2nd lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 76.0% (12th highest)

76.0% (12th highest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 48.4% (3rd lowest)

48.4% (3rd lowest) Poverty rate: 18.5% (4th highest)

18.5% (4th highest) Violent crime rate: 232.3 per 100,000 (7th lowest)

Using your strengths and enjoying what you do every day can greatly contribute to a sense of purpose -- one of the most important pillars of personal well-being. In Kentucky, just 70.6% of adults like what they do every day, and 63.3% use their strengths to maximize their potential every day -- the second smallest and smallest shares of any state, respectively. The relatively weak sense of purpose may partially explain the prevalence of depression in the state. Some 23% of respondents in Kentucky have had a depression in their lifetime, the fourth largest share of any state.

In addition, many also likely suffer from poor physical health. Only 48.4% of respondents in Kentucky assess their own physical health as near-perfect, the third smallest share of any state. Suboptimal health, for many, may be attributable to unhealthy habits. For example, just 57.4% of adults in the state eat healthily all day, the third smallest share of any state.

46. Oklahoma

Residents who like what they do every day: 74.1% (18th lowest)

74.1% (18th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.8% (23rd lowest)

74.8% (23rd lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 47.7% (2nd lowest)

47.7% (2nd lowest) Poverty rate: 16.3% (9th highest)

16.3% (9th highest) Violent crime rate: 449.8 per 100,000 (14th highest)

Over 16% Oklahoma residents live on poverty level incomes, well above the 14.0% U.S. poverty rate. Poorer Americans are less likely to report a high sense of well-being than higher earning Americans, and the low incomes in Oklahoma may explain some negative outcomes. Only 38.2% of adults in the state have enough money to do what they want, nearly the lowest share nationwide. Additionally, 1 in every 5 survey respondents struggle to afford food, the fourth highest ratio of any state.

Stronger social connections would also go a long way to improve well-being in the Sooner State. Just 42.7% of survey respondents always make time for regular vacations with family and friends, the smallest share of any state. Additionally, just 71.2% of adults in the state receive positive energy from friends and family on a daily basis, the fourth smallest share among states.

47. Mississippi

Residents who like what they do every day: 69.8% (the lowest)

69.8% (the lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 71.4% (2nd lowest)

71.4% (2nd lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 51.4% (9th lowest)

51.4% (9th lowest) Poverty rate: 20.8% (the highest)

20.8% (the highest) Violent crime rate: 280.5 per 100,000 (15th lowest)

Poorer Americans are less likely than those with higher incomes to report a high level of personal well-being. With about 1 in 5 residents living below the poverty line, Mississippi is the poorest state in the country. Partly as a result, it is the only state where fewer than 1 in 3 adults do not have enough money to do what they want. Additionally, some 23% of survey respondents report struggling to afford food, the largest share of any state.

Many Mississippi residents also lack a sense of purpose. It is the only state in the country where fewer than 70% of survey respondents said they like what they do every day. It is also one of only three state where less than half of adults have reached most of their goals in the past year.

More: What's the richest town in every state?

48. Arkansas

Residents who like what they do every day: 71.9% (6th lowest)

71.9% (6th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.6% (20th lowest)

74.6% (20th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 48.6% (4th lowest)

48.6% (4th lowest) Poverty rate: 17.2% (6th highest)

17.2% (6th highest) Violent crime rate: 550.9 per 100,000 (6th highest)

Arkansas residents have some of the worst health behaviors in the country and report some of the worst health outcomes. For example, 31% of adults in the state get no exercise beyond getting up and going to work, and 32% have had to abstain from their usual activities for more than two days due to poor health -- both the second largest shares of any state. Nationwide, just 26.0% of Americans missed their usual activities due to poor health. Additionally, 39% of adults have had high blood pressure at some point in their lives, and 15% have diabetes -- each the third largest share nationwide.

49. Louisiana

Residents who like what they do every day: 71.9% (7th lowest)

71.9% (7th lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 73.3% (8th lowest)

73.3% (8th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 52.6% (15th lowest)

52.6% (15th lowest) Poverty rate: 20.2% (2nd highest)

20.2% (2nd highest) Violent crime rate: 566.1 per 100,000 (5th highest)

Louisiana is one of many states in the South that trail the nation in well-being. Just an estimated 55.4% of adults believe the area where they live is the perfect place for them, and only 69.3% always feel safe and secure -- each the smallest share of any state. The fractured sense of safety may be partially due to the area’s high crime rate. There were 566 violent and 3,298 property crimes per 100,000 Louisiana residents in 2016, the fifth and fourth highest such rates of any state.

Louisiana residents also report the weakest sense of financial security of any state other than Mississippi. More than 1 resident in 5 in the state live in poverty, the second highest poverty rate in the country.

50. West Virginia

Residents who like what they do every day: 71.3% (3rd lowest)

71.3% (3rd lowest) Residents w/ a strong social relationship: 74.6% (18th lowest)

74.6% (18th lowest) Residents in near perfect physical health: 47.4% (the lowest)

47.4% (the lowest) Poverty rate: 17.9% (5th highest)

17.9% (5th highest) Violent crime rate: 358.1 per 100,000 (24th lowest)

For the ninth year in a row, West Virginia residents reported the lowest level of well-being in 2017. Well-being in the state is largely hindered by high levels of financial insecurity and poor physical health. The typical West Virginia household earns just $43,385 a year, more than $14,000 less than the national median income of $57,617. Even adjusted for the area’s low cost of living -- goods and services cost an average 11% less in the state than they do nationwide -- West Virginia still has the second lowest median household income in the country. Some 21% of adults believe they do not have enough money for food, the third largest share of any state.

In West Virginia, 28% of adults smoke, and 29% get no exercise beyond getting up and going to work -- the largest and fourth largest such shares in the country. The state has the highest self-reported rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, and heart attack, and just 47% of adults believe they are in near-perfect physical health -- the smallest share of any state.

More: Can you afford that new vehicle? 25 most expensive car models to insure

Detailed findings

In an interview with 24/7 Wall Street, Dan Witters, research director of the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index, identified sense of purpose as the clearest indicator of overall well-being. “If I had to pick one of the five elements to start with and build from scratch, it would be purpose.” Sense of purpose correlates with overall well-being more than any of the other four elements. This is likely because sense of purpose determines so many other factors in an individual’s life.

“Are you learning and growing? Are you reaching goals? Are you in a role where you’re able to use your natural strengths every day?” Witters explained. Individuals with a strong sense of purpose are more likely to have higher incomes, be in better physical shape, have ties to their community, and have strong social relationships.

Another of the five elements of well-being is financial security. Statements such as “You have enough money to do everything you want to do,” and “In the last seven days, you have worried about money,” which participants agree or disagree with on a scale of 1 to 5, give an insight into how well individuals manage their economic life to reduce stress and increase financial security. Financial security is highly correlated with external factors such as income and cost of living. Of the 25 states reporting the highest degrees of financial security, 20 have median household incomes greater than the national median income of $57,617 when adjusted for cost of living.

Connection to one’s community is another important element in overall well-being. Survey respondents were asked to agree or disagree with statements such as “You are proud of your community,” and “You always feel safe and secure,” on a scale of 1 to 5 to give an indication of how much they like where they live, feel safe, and have pride in their community. One factor that can significantly erode an individual’s bond with his or her community is crime. Of the 15 states with the strongest sense of community, 13 have lower violent crime rates than the national rate, and 10 have lower property crime rates as well.

Unemployment is also one of the major external factors that correlates with overall well-being. “Having a job is better for your well-being than not having a job if you need one,” Witters said. A large number of residents with high well-being can also attract new industry to a given area, which can in turn help keep unemployment low. “States that have high well-being residents are attractive places for would-be employers because their workers perform better and have fewer unplanned absences,” Witters said. All 10 of the states with the highest overall well-being have unemployment rates below the national unemployment rate for 2016 of 4.9 percent.

According to Witters, factors that highly correlate with overall well-being also include educational attainment, motor vehicle deaths, driving under the influence, and teen pregnancies.

Methodology

To determine America’s happiest and most miserable states, 24/7 Wall Street analyzed the results of the Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index. States were ranked based on their overall Well-Being Index score. Survey results from Gallup were paired with other socioeconomic data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, and other sources. Data on median household income, college and high school attainment, commuting patterns, poverty, households earning less than $10,000 and households earning more than $200,000, and income inequality came from the Census Bureau’s 2016 American Community Survey. Data on unemployment came from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and is an annual average for 2017. Data on regional price parity came from the Bureau of Economic Statistics and is for 2016. Data on violent crime and property crime came from the FBI’s 2016 Uniform Crime Report. Data on physical inactivity, access to physical activity locations, premature mortality, and children in single-parent households came from the 2017 edition of County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a joint program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. All data are for the most recent period available.

24/7 Wall Street is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

Clippers dominate, beat Thunder 120-106 for 6th win in row

AP

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points, Paul George added 29 and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-106 on Friday night for their sixth straight win.

Serge Ibaka had 17 points and 11 rebounds to help the Clippers improve to 12-4, tying the Lakers for the NBA’s best record.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 30 points and eight assists against his former team. Lu Dort added 19 points.

“He was amazing. He had some great moves, great finishes around the basket as always,” teammate Mike Muscala said of Gilgeous-Alexander. “He makes the game easier for everybody on the court.”

The Thunder were in catch-up mode most of the way before dropping their second straight and fourth in five games. They were just 14 of 42 from 3-point range and only got to the free throw line 13 times.

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“We had a bad start,” Dort said. “We had to talk to each other, pick it up, and play harder.”

The Clippers grabbed control in the first half, scoring 36 points in the first quarter and 34 in the second on 63% shooting. They had scoring runs of 21-2 and 11-4 in the first.

They opened the second quarter with a 19-10 spurt, including George’s steal and dunk followed by his consecutive 3-pointers, for their largest lead of 27 points.

From there, the Thunder put together a 25-15 surge, hitting five 3-pointers, to trail 70-53 at halftime.

The Thunder worked to reduce a 23-point deficit to 10 points in the third. They outscored the Clippers 15-2 during one stretch, helped by eight points from Dort and Muscala’s first 3-pointer after he missed four attempts in the first half.

But Leonard quickly put the Clippers ahead 91-75, running off six in a row. Muscala hit another 3-pointer that left the Thunder trailing by 13 going into the fourth.

“Teams are going to make runs, regardless of it’s a top team or a young team,” George said. “You got to learn how to win in adversity and learn how to weather the storm. It's more so about us withstanding that and executing down the stretch.”

George scored 11 points in the fourth against his old team, when Gilgeous-Alexander had 10 for the Thunder.

TIP-INS

Thunder: It took until the second half, but Dort and Muscala continued their streaks of both hitting at least one 3-pointer in each game they’ve played this season. Dort leads the team with 34 3-pointers and Muscala is second with 26. ... They dropped to 1-6 against the West.

Clippers: Lou Williams recorded his 249th career game with at least five assists off the bench, tying J.J. Barea for the most such games in NBA history.

NEW ADDITION

Nicolas Batum and his wife, Lily, welcomed a daughter earlier Thursday. He tweeted a black-and-white photo of the baby named Nayeli. “Woman (sic) are the strongest. They both have done a great job. What a crazy day. I’m the happiest man in the world,” he wrote, adding three heart emojis. Batum scored 14 points.

UP NEXT

The teams meet again Sunday at Staples Center.

___

More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

AZ Memo: Taurasi gets married; ASU wins Territorial Cup Series ...

The Republic | azcentral.com

Good morning, Arizona. Here's what you need to know to kick off your work week.

The National Weather Service is forecasting a Monday that will see mostly sunny skies with highs reaching up to 85. Winds up to 20 mph are also expected today.

The Valley low will bottom out at about 55 with winds reaching 15 mph.

TAURASI MARRIES FORMER MERCURY PLAYER

Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi married former Mercury player Penny Taylor, now the team’s director of player development, on Saturday.

The ceremony was held a day before the Mercury began their 21st season Sunday.

"Just an amazing day, one of the happiest days we've ever had," Taurasi said after the Mercury's 68-58 loss to Dallas. "It would have been nice to follow it up with a win, but we're just really happy. It was one of the times where all our families were together, all the people we love and care for in the city that we met and evolved as teammates and wives now. It's been pretty cool."

Taurasi, 34, is one of the most prominent players in women’s basketball and this season is expected to become the WNBA career scoring leader. She has won three WNBA titles with the Mercury and four U.S. Olympic gold medals.

ASU CLINCHES FOURTH CONSECUTIVE TERRITORIAL CUP SERIES

Arizona State clinched a fourth consecutive undisputed Territorial Cup Series title Sunday over rival Arizona.

ASU picked up both outdoor track points to reach the needed 10.5 points for the 2016-17 series crown.

The ASU women's track team was sixth at the Pac-12 Championships in Eugene, Ore., two places ahead of UA. On the men's side, the Sun Devils finished eighth, edging the Wildcats by one point.

ASU leads 10.5 points to 8.5 in the series with only the baseball point left to be decided. After splitting non-conference games, ASU and UA baseball will meet in a three-game Pac-12 series starting Thursday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

MISS USA 2017: MISS D.C. WINS THE CROWN

For the second year in a row, the Miss USA crown went to the District of Columbia.

Miss D.C. Kára McCullough became the 66th Miss USA during Sunday night's pageant, with Miss New Jersey Chhavi Verg named the runner-up and Miss Minnesota Meridith Gould the second runner-up.

As she joked earlier in the competition, McCullough hoped to win the crown to give D.C. "back to back" wins "like Drake." Miss D.C. 2016 Deshauna Barber won the competition last year. Before passing on the crown Sunday night, Barber shared an emotional story about her mother's death shortly after she won Miss USA.

Astros win 1st World Series crown, top Dodgers 5-1 in Game 7

AP

LOS ANGELES (AP) — From laughingstock to lift off.

George Springer and the Houston Astros rocketed to the top of the baseball galaxy Wednesday night, winning the first World Series championship in franchise history by romping past the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in Game 7.

Playing for a city still recovering from Hurricane Harvey, and wearing an H Strong logo on their jerseys, the Astros brought home the prize that had eluded them since they started out in 1962 as the Colt .45s.

"I always believed that we could make it," All-Star slugger Jose Altuve said. "We did this for them."

For a Series that was shaping up as an October classic, Game 7 quickly became a November clunker as Houston scored five runs in the first two innings off Yu Darvish. Hardly the excitement fans felt during the Cubs' 10-inning thriller in Cleveland last fall.

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Well, except for everyone wearing bright orange. Back in Houston, a huge crowd filled Minute Maid Park to cheer as fans watched on the big video board, and the train whistle wailed when it was over.

"We're coming home a champion, Houston," Springer said after accepting the World Series MVP trophy named this year for Willie Mays.

Star shortstop Carlos Correa turned the party into a proposal. After doing a TV interview, he got down on one knee and asked girlfriend Daniella Rodriguez, a former Miss Texas USA, to marry him.

"Yes?" he said, putting a ring on her finger as she cried.

Altuve, one of four holdovers from a club that lost an embarrassing 111 times in 2013 after switching from the NL to the AL, and this collection of young stars silenced Dodger Stadium from the get-go, taking a 5-0 lead in the second inning.

Altuve was in perfect position for the final out, a grounder by Corey Seager to the 5-foot-6 second baseman.

"I caught the last out for the Houston Astros to become a world champion. It was a groundball to me, I threw to first, and I think it was the happiest moment of my life in baseball," Altuve said.

The Astros streamed from the dugout and bullpen to go wild, tossing their gloves in the air. A thousand or so fans crowded behind the first base dugout, chanting "Hou-ston! Hou-ston!"

Later, some little Astros kids ran around the outfield grass dressed in Halloween outfits. Their dads, meanwhile, were putting on championship hats and shirts.

At last, they had completed the ascent some predicted after a rebuilding club purged payroll and stripped down to bare bones a few years back.

Famously, now, there was the Sports Illustrated cover in 2014 — after Houston had lost more than 100 games for three straight seasons — that proclaimed: "Your 2017 World Series Champs" and featured a picture of Springer in a bright Astros jersey.

On the other side, ace Clayton Kershaw and several Dodgers leaned against the dugout railing, watching the Astros celebrate. Los Angeles led the majors with 104 wins and a $240 million payroll, and rallied to win Game 6, yet it didn't pay off for part-owner Magic Johnson and his team.

"Obviously, this one hurts," manager Dave Roberts said. "And like I told the guys, when you put everything, every ounce of your being into something and you come up short, it hurts. And it's supposed to hurt."

Normally a starter, Charlie Morton finished up with four stellar innings of relief for the win.

"We held down a really tough lineup," Morton said. "For my teammates, for the city of Houston, it's just unbelievable."

Springer led off the evening with a double against Darvish, and soon it was 2-0.

Springer hit his fifth homer — tying the Series mark set by Reggie Jackson (1977) and matched by Chase Utley (2009) — when he connected for a record fourth game in a row, making it a five-run lead.

That was plenty for Houston manager A.J. Hinch. He pulled starter Lance McCullers Jr. soon after the curveballer crazily plunked his fourth batter of the game , and began a parade of four relievers that held the lead.

Throughout the postseason, Hinch and the unconventional Astros overcame a shaky bullpen by using starters in relief.

"I knew yesterday I didn't have much," said McCullers, the Game 3 winner. "I knew I didn't have much to give other than to gut it out as long as I could."

In a dramatic Series marked by blown leads and late rallies, when Houston twice outlasted the Dodgers in extra innings, McCullers did enough.

Forever known for their space-age Astrodome, outlandish rainbow jerseys and a handful of heartbreaking playoff losses for stars like Nolan Ryan, Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio, these Astros will be remembered as champions, finally, in their 56th season.

The club that wears a star on its hat also filled out the Texas trophy case. Teams from the Lone Star State had won most every major crown — the Super Bowl, NBA and NHL titles, championships in college football, and men's and women's hoops — except the World Series.

Built on the skills of homegrown All-Stars Dallas Keuchel and more, helped by veteran offseason acquisitions such as Brian McCann and 40-year-old Carlos Beltran, who won his first ring, and boosted by the slick trade for ace Justin Verlander, general manager Jeff Luhnow oversaw the team's resurgence.

Houston won 101 times this year to take the AL West, then won Games 6 and 7 at home in the AL Championship Series against the New York Yankees. The Astros joined the 1985 Royals as the only clubs to win a pair of Game 7s in the same year.

When it was over, Bagwell and Biggio posed for pictures together with the World Series trophy.

For the Dodgers, the quest to win a Series for the first time since 1988 fell short.

Kershaw provided four shutout innings of relief for Los Angeles , but it was too late. What the Dodgers really needed was a better starter than Darvish, someone more like the lefty who tossed out a ceremonial first ball: the great Sandy Koufax.

Acquired from Texas on July 31 for these big games, Darvish lasted 1 2/3 innings in both his World Series starts — the two shortest of his career.

"This pain is going to stay in me for a while," the four-time All-Star said through a translator.

After Springer lined a leadoff double , Alex Bregman hit a bouncer that first baseman Cody Bellinger threw past Darvish for an error, allowing a run to score . Bregman aggressively stole third and scored on Altuve's grounder , and it was 2-0 after eight pitches.

A double by Marwin Gonzalez helped set up perhaps McCullers' biggest contribution, a slow grounder for his first pro RBI. Springer followed with a no-doubt, two-run drive into the left-center field bleachers.

That was the Series-most 25th homer in a Major League Baseball season that set a record for home runs. It was easily enough for the Astros to offset pinch-hitter Andre Ethier's RBI single in the Los Angeles sixth.

Only once have the Dodgers clinched a crown at home, that coming in 1963 when Koufax outpitched Yankees star Whitey Ford to finish a sweep. They've never won Game 7 of the Fall Classic at their own park, dating more than a century ago to their days on the streets of Brooklyn as the Trolley Dodgers.

As pockets of Houston fans got louder and louder in the later innings, the crowd at Dodger Stadium was left to repeat the sad, but hopeful cry that used to echo in Brooklyn: Wait till next year.

Just 106 days until pitchers and catchers report to spring training.

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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

Deadly May of 1973 still resonates at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Phil Richards

USA TODAY Sports

May of 1973 was deadliest month at Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1937

Driver Art Pollard was killed in an accident during a practice

Driver Swede Savage and mechanic Armando Teran also died

A crowd estimated at 250,000 swarmed Indianapolis Motor Speedway's grandstands, suites and infield on May 12, 1973. It was pole day for the Indianapolis 500, a sunny Saturday bright with the promise of speed.

People came to see the storied track's first 200-mph laps. They saw, instead, the fatal first day of the old track's deadliest May since 1937.

"Very sad, about as sad as you can get," Pat Patrick said 40 years later. "I still feel bad about it."

"To me, it was a horrible year," recalled Andy Granatelli. "Terrible. Empty."

Patrick owned Patrick Racing, which fielded the winning car, driven by Gordon Johncock. Granatelli was the CEO and affable pitchman of the car's sponsor, STP oil products.

Driver Art Pollard was killed in an accident during pole day practice. Driver Salt Walther suffered disfiguring burns in a fiery first-lap crash that injured 13 spectators. Swede Savage, driver of another Patrick Racing, STP-sponsored car, and Armando Teran, mechanic on a third Patrick/STP car, also died.

It was a May to forget. Rain hampered practice the first two weeks, delayed the race for 2½ days and graciously ended it, on Wednesday, May 30, after 133 laps and 332½ miles.

"After the second day, you started thinking: 'Who's next?'" recalled pole-sitter Johnny Rutherford. "They could have just as well red-flagged the thing and we would have been happy to have gone on to Milwaukee."

High speeds, high anxiety

Turbochargers and bolt-on wings introduced in 1972 resulted in an unprecedented spike in speeds that year. Bobby Unser took the pole at 195.940 mph, 17 mph faster than the year before. Then Johncock recorded an unofficial lap of 199.4 mph during tire testing in March 1973.

It was the Golden Era of IndyCar racing. Raw speed ruled.

Current IndyCars generate 670 horsepower. In 1973, that figure was in excess of 1,000.

Steve Krisiloff, who started the 1973 race seventh and finished sixth, recalled coming around to take the green flag on his pole day qualifying attempt. His tires were warmed, his four-speed gear box in high.

"I jumped on the throttle coming out of 2," Krisiloff said, "and spun my wheels halfway down the back straight – in high gear."

Cars were on the edge. They carried a full fuel load of 75 gallons. Methanol, at 70 degrees, weighs about 6.6 pounds a gallon. That's 500 pounds of high explosive. All three major accidents resulted in fireballs.

Robin Miller, the long-time Indianapolis Star racing writer who now works as an IndyCar reporter for NBC Sports Network and the Speed network, recalled sitting with Pollard on the pit wall early pole day morning. Miller was surprised when Pollard said he would take the car out during pre-qualifying practice.

"You're good," Miller told Pollard.

"I think we can trim it out and get a little more out of it," Pollard responded.

Minutes later, Pollard's car smacked the outside wall in Turn 1, spun, flipped and slid to a stop in Turn 2, engulfed in flames. Pollard, 46, was pronounced dead an hour later from pulmonary damage due to flame inhalation.

Rutherford was among the first on the scene of the crash. He and Pollard were close friends. They had recently returned from a New Orleans vacation with their wives and two other couples.

No matter. Time trials began on time, at 11 a.m. Rutherford qualified at 198.413 to set a track record and take the pole.

"It was my job," he said. "That's all you can say."

A roaring start

On race day, Monday, May 28, the massive crowd included 23 U.S. prisoners of war recently released by Hanoi. Jim Nabors, an emergency fill-in the year before, sang "Back Home in Indiana" again. Rene Thomas, the 1914 race winner, was driven around the track. He waved his checkered cap from the riding mechanic's seat of his winning Delage.

The race started four hours late under threatening skies. It erupted in flames with the green flag still waving.

Walther touched wheels with Jerry Grant's car in the sixth row and was launched into the catch fence near the starting line. The front of Walther's car was torn off. The grandstand was showered in debris and burning fuel. Twelve cars were caught up in the wreckage as Walther's car pin-wheeled down the track upside down, gushing flaming methanol.

"This is what everybody feared," ABC's Jim McKay told the worldwide television audience. "This is why there has been such a terrible atmosphere of fear here, all weekend long."

People in the pits recall the searing intensity of the heat.

"He came off the wall and almost landed on the front of my car," said Lee Kunzman, whose first Indy start carried him only a few hundred yards. "I couldn't see where I was going or what I was doing.

"I thought I was blind until I flipped up my visor. The flames melted it and crinkled it all up."

The rain came while workers were still cleaning the track. The race was postponed until Tuesday, when on the second parade lap, the sky opened again and another washout was declared.

By Wednesday, tension and exhaustion infected the track. Drivers and crews were taut.

"People don't realize how the driver gets himself geared up for battle," said Bobby Unser, who would lead 39 laps before retiring with a blown engine. "It really tries on a driver hard. It gets to your stomach, to your head."

It got to Krisiloff's nose.

"By Wednesday, when we showed up at the race track, the place stunk," he said.

Mud and sodden trash was everywhere. Clouds threatened again but sun broke through and the track dried. The grid was reset without Walther. Thirty-two cars returned to their original positions.

A little after 2 p.m., for the second time in three days, gentlemen started their engines.

Unser led early, then Savage went to the front. On lap 57, Savage pitted and took on a full fuel load. Coming out of Turn 4 on the next lap, the rear of his 1,500-pound Eagle, heavy with 500 pounds of methanol, twitched. Savage lost control.

He hit the inside wall almost head-on at full speed. His car exploded in an angry orange flash. Pieces tumbled down the track and Savage slid to a stop, still strapped in the cockpit amidst a pool of burning fuel, but fully conscious, somehow speaking to safety workers and medical officials.

Teran, a mechanic on Graham McRae's car, sprinted down pit lane to see if he could be of help to his injured teammate. A fire truck traveling at an estimate 60 mph in the wrong direction hit Teran, who suffered crushed ribs and a fractured skull.

Granatelli had always watched the race from the pits but that year for the first time was in a penthouse suite overlooking pit lane from across the track. At last glance, Granatelli had seen Teran standing alongside McRea's crew chief, Granatelli's son Vince.

Teran and Vince Granatelli were the same height and build. They wore the same uniform.

"They looked exactly alike," Andy said, speaking in the hushed tones of grief 40 years later. "I thought it was my son who had been hit."

Johncock parked his car in the short chute and climbed out, intending to check on Savage, his teammate. A.J. Foyt approached and put a hand on Johncock's arm.

"He told me, 'Don't go up there,'" Johncock recalled. "He said, 'You don't want to see it."

George Snider had. He pulled into his pit and climbed out of his car. He turned the car over to its owner, Foyt, who had gone out on Lap 37 with a failed bolt.

The race recommenced an hour later. The yellow came out when light rain began falling on Lap 129. The red flag flew as the rain intensified on Lap 133. Finally, mercifully, the "72 Hours of Indianapolis" were over. It was 5:30 p.m. Only 10 cars were still running.

Johncock, who led 64 laps, was declared the winner while sitting in the pits. He unstrapped and pronounced the day "the happiest of my life."

Johncock, who would win again when he beat Rick Mears by .16 seconds in 1982, didn't look or sound happy. No one did.

The traditional victory banquet was canceled. Johncock left the track quickly. He went to the hospital with Patrick to visit Savage. Afterward, Patrick and Johncock held the most muted of victory banquets. They shared hamburgers at the Burger Chef restaurant on West 16th Street, just east of the track.

"Swede wasn't much older than my son (Steve)," Patrick said. "He was like a family member. Hell, we'd take him on hunting trips, fishing trips, everywhere.

"My whole family was in tears. We just got on the plane and came home."

Chronicling the carnage

Walther, 25, suffered a crushed kneecap and severe burns over most of his body. The fingertips on his charred left hand were amputated. He had to relearn to walk but he was back at Indy, back in the field for the 1974 Indianapolis 500.

Walther struggled with addiction to pain medicine after his fiery wreck. He served time in jail. He died Dec. 27, 2012.

Savage, 26, suffered critical burns but survived 33 days. He died of liver failure, attending physician Steve Olvey wrote in his book, "Rapid Response," due to a transfusion of contaminated plasma.

Pollard's was an uncommon touch. "Everyone's friend," Unser called him.

Pollard frequently visited Larue Carter Memorial Hospital, a facility for mentally ill youth, and each May arranged for a busload or two of its children to come to the track for a picnic.

Upon his death, Pollard's family established the Art Pollard Fund with a $25,000 bequest. Forty years later, children cavort on the hospital's "Art Pollard Playground" and the picnic survives in his honor, financed by his fund, the original $25,000 still untouched.

Kunzman took over Pollard's car for the remainder of the 1973 season. Wally Dallenbach stepped into Savage's.

"Back then, about the only way to get a better ride, move up the ladder, was when somebody got hurt or killed," Kunzman said. "It was part of the gig."

Safety was the watchword for the 1974 Indianapolis 500.

Fuel capacity was reduced from 75 to 40 gallons. The large wings of 1972-73 were reduced in size. Pop-off valves cut boost and the horsepower generated by turbochargers. Retaining walls were raised, catch fences improved and some "trackside seating" was removed.

There wouldn't be another on-track fatality at IMS until Gordon Smiley in 1982. It was a needed and welcome improvement. It was too late for too many.

Richards writes for The Indianapolis Star, a Gannett property.

Every floor of Pagoda during Indy 500: Dignitaries, race control, FBI ...

INDIANAPOLIS — The lights are off in this room tucked away on the second floor of the Pagoda, a tiny space with an electric feeling. A peaceful glow emanates from the front wall covered with 15 screens, and it gives the room a calm feeling.

A calm feeling in an otherwise intense, chaotic, high-pressure situation.

This is race control. This is the heartbeat of the Indianapolis 500. Inside the room when cars are racing, it feels like scenes playing out from the movie "Apollo 13." That's the best way Kyle Novak can describe it.

This is the domain he oversees as race director of IndyCar, a domain filled with mission specialists, a small but mighty army whose job it is to make sure the Indy 500 is pulled off without a hitch, and, if there is one, to help fix it.

"This is the nerve center. This is where the race is actually run from," said Novak. "We make all the decisions right here."

Right here inside the Pagoda at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Without this tiered tower with its glistening teal glass, not an Indy 500 victory, not a restart, not a cleanup, not an NBC broadcast, not a sick fan being helped, not a drunk fan being arrested, would happen at the Indianapolis 500.

Ten floors and a rooftop make up the Pagoda, 153 feet from bottom to top and spanning 65,000 square feet inside the steel and concrete tower.

It's an elite place not many are allowed to be. But those who are inside, what is inside and what happens inside, is everything the Greatest Spectacle in Racing is all about.

Floor 1: Drivers, pace cars, $1M trophy

On the ground level of the Pagoda is the garage where Chevrolet displays the official pace car for the Indy 500, as well as backup pace cars. This May, a 2021 mid-engine Corvette Stingray hardtop convertible is the show ride.

The garage, though, is not just for the cars to be seen. Inside, they are worked on and tested to make sure everything is in optimal condition for race day and this year's pace car driver Danica Patrick.

Across from the garage is a green room where drivers gathered at 11:30 a.m. Sunday for roll call before their introductions.

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On some days, fans who walk by inside of the track can catch a glimpse of the hallowed Borg-Warner trophy on ground level of the Pagoda. That shiny relic valued at $1 million is permanently housed at the IMS Museum but was hoisted into Victory Circle on Sunday — as it is each May by the winner. This time Helio Castroneves got the honors.

Floor 2: Race mission specialists

It's funny, said IndyCar president Jay Frye, at any other sporting event, officials are on the field, on the ice, on the court. But with IndyCar, the main officiating happens in this room on the second floor of the Pagoda called race control.

Officials are around the field, in pit row, out in the corners, but the race control room has the means, with access to 100 cameras and so much more, to make the critical calls.

"If you're standing in Turn 4 on top of the grandstands," said Frye, "we can look at your eyes from these cameras."

So much goes on in this one control room, which was filled with about 15 people Sunday who helped pull off the race.

There is Jim Norman, who specializes in safety on the track. At any given time, he could have as many as 60 people in his ear.

"Say we have a wreck, an incident, of course we don't want to see those but we're racing, so we have them," said Novak. "Jim's going to put all the safety trucks out there, if they need an ambulance, if they need a tow truck, he's going to coordinate all that."

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Dave Price is in charge of the observers, people who are stationed around the track in the stands. Before the advent of video, that's all the Indy 500 had. And still today, those observers are critical to the race.

Many of the caution calls, such as a car crashing in Turn 1, come from observers who see it happen right in front of them. "Yellow, yellow, yellow," the call from the observer will come across.

They can also spot tiny issues, such as pieces of carbon fiber or a bolt on the track. "We have all of our cameras," Novak said. "They still can't see those kind of things that the human eye can see."

Presiding over race control communications is Jim Swintal, who delivers information to teams, pit lane officials, to the pace car as to what's happening on the track, where the incidents are, when the penalties are called.

"I like to think if the race were a movie, I'd be the narrator," he said. "I try to make sure they're not guessing what we're going to do next, when we're going to go back, when we're going to clean up after an incident."

There are 30 or so antennas around the track and Gary Barnard, race control data analyst, has his eye on the information coming in.

Each car has a unique transponder, so as a car crosses each line, it makes a record of that crossing. Barnard tracks the movement of the cars and the order of the cars. When there is a caution period, he is the person who makes sure the cars are in the right order when they start back up.

"Sometimes," he said, "It's easier than others."

Two people in race control, including John Maesky, are called red hats. They have the direct line to the NBC production truck and make all communication from the control room to that truck.

"They're doing the live broadcast. They are going to breaks. We've got to make sure they're catching all the action," said Maesky.

Any calls or decisions that are made by Novak and the team, Maesky lets NBC know. He helps coordinate so when they come off breaks they are catching a live re-start.

Race control is like one big race orchestra performing in one tiny space.

"The great part about being in this room on race day is you'll hear the roar of the crowd the roar of the engines but it's almost like you might as well be 1,000 miles away," Novak said. "And that's a good thing because our focus needs to be on the safety of the drivers."

Floor 2: Timing, scoring, 'lots going on'

Sheron Arnold, an IndyCar booth operator with scoring and timing, sits just outside the race control room, overlooking the yard of bricks.

It is her job, among plenty of other things, to keep track of how many times each car passes the start/finish line. IndyCar times its races to 10 thousandths of a second, the only series to do that — Formula One doesn't, NASCAR doesn't.

"And we need to do that because we have had ties before," Arnold said. "That's how competitive our cars are."

Timing and scoring is a complicated, intense operation. It runs three systems simultaneously, in case something happens. One system goes down, the department can simultaneously switch over to a mirror image system. They run on separate servers and are all backed up.

What might be the coolest things happening in this department, though, are the photos of the cars. Each car has a tiny transponder inside and wires are embedded by the start/finish line. When the nose of the car is on the bricks, the transponder hits.

A start/finish camera (hanging in the ceiling just down from the timing and scoring booth) is also a timing device. That camera takes a pixel every ten thousandth of a second.

So, every single time a car crosses that line, 1,000 photos of it are taken — very, very small slices that build up to a whole car. A close finish? No problem, that car is divided into 1,000 pieces.

It happened in Fontana not too long ago, said Arnold. A finish was so close, two cars crossed simultaneously and one system picked up one car and another system picked up the other car. They went to the camera to see who really finished first.

Around the corner from timing and scoring is what used to be a broom closet, now IMS president Doug Boles' on-track office. Next to that is what he calls the war room where, should an unexpected event happen, a group of people from communication, race control, PA, safety and security would gather to hash it out.

Facing the track on Floor 2 is a room built out specially in 2019, when Matt Damon and Christian Bale came to the Indy 500 with their families. The space allowed them to walk right out to the pre-race festivities they were part of and then right back with their families to watch the race.

The second floor also features the PA booth and a driver green room. "Without a doubt, Floor 2," said Boles, "has lots going on."

Floor 3: A sweet suite and a DJ

The suite of NTT, the title sponsor of the IndyCar series, has a space like nothing else in the Pagoda, said Boles. It's low, and on the deck, guests are right above the track. Outside seating has bleachers that face the racetrack so suite goers can see more up high.

The Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, or NTT, is a Japanese telecommunications company headquartered in Tokyo. It became the title sponsor for IndyCar in 2019 after Verizon told the series it wouldn't renew its contract after the 2018 season. Verizon was title sponsor for five years, replacing IZOD in 2014.

Before the race Sunday, on the deck of the third floor overlooking the yard of bricks, DJ Slater Hogan entertained fans. Tapped by IMS in an elite gig, he soaked it all in. As the music played, Hogan danced to the beat as did race fans all around.

Floors 4/5: No biggie — just ambassadors

What better place to show off Indianapolis to a company you hope to bring to the city than to invite them to IMS on Indy 500 Sunday?

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation uses its suite in the Pagoda, taking up both floors four and five, just for that, said chief of staff Luke Bosso.

"There is no better product for business development than the Speedway," he said. "It's one of a kind."

On Sunday, ambassadors from Italy, Japan and Hungary were in the suite. Gov. Eric Holcomb likes to make sure guests of the IEDC suite arrive early so they have time for all the fanfare of the Indy 500, including tours of the pits and garages.

"Gov. Holcomb is happiest when he's here," Bosso said. "He loves it. He loves showing it off."

IDEC has a list of top prospects, companies it is trying to lureto Indiana, and it invites to the Indy 500 to schmooze. In addition, officials from Eli Lilly, Cummins and other major companies in Indiana and worldwide will be inside.

"I'd love to say it's a big networking event," said Bosso. "But when the cars are going around, it's 10 seconds of talking, then the cars go..." and attention turns to the track.

"When you get people here, they are just amazed by it," he said. "That first lap, all 33 cars coming and people are hooked."

IDEC then hopes they get hooked enough to call the state their new business home.

Floors 6/7: They call it IMS Suite 67

Taking up two full floors of the pagoda at IMS is an ultra glamorous space that could be mistaken for an upscale restaurant, if not for that massive track beyond the window.

Suite 67 is where Penske and IMS entertain key partners, sponsors, dignitaries and celebrities. On the sixth floor is a display of food and drinks and on the seventh floor, a bar area where those people socialize.

Suite 67 — named for its location on levels six and seven — is 4,200-square feet, holds up to 360 people and is "really the most exclusive space we have," said Boles.

There is a deck on both sides and stadium seats out front that offer a one-of-a-kind vantage point of the track — the start/finish line, flag stand and pre-race fanfare all unfold below. Out the back of the suite is a view of the downtown skyline.

"For people to come out and realize we are in the middle of a big city..." Boles said. "We aren't like a normal oval track in the middle of nowhere."

Floor 8: A one-man suite

Stuart Reed has the only suite in the Pagoda that is more individual than company-driven, said Boles.

But as co-owner of Ed Carpenter Racing, Reed's suite is pretty much an Ed Carpenter and Tony George — the other two owners of Ed Carpenter Racing — suite.

Floor 9: Pagoda command, big boards

A fan in the stands who calls 9-1-1, that call gets diverted to Pagoda command. A spectator who is dangerously intoxicated and refusing treatment is reported to Pagoda command.

The ninth floor is where law enforcement, local to federal, operate, along with medical, EMS, safety patrol (also known as "yellow shirts") and operations.

Where Mike Bates sits as head of security at IMS, he sees it as a true collaboration. On race day, secret service, FBI, TSA, FAA, National Weather Service, District Attorney's office all are there.

"We've got a complement of people that would help support in the worst-case scenario," Bates said.

Those dogs that sniff cars before they enter IMS to make sure there are no bombs or explosives, floor nine is part of that. In 2019, there were 32 dogs sniffing, twice the number the at the Super Bowl, Bates said.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security ranks the Indy 500 level 2 on its special event assessment rating (SEAR). That means it's a "significant event with national and/or international importance that may require some level of federal interagency support."

Speedway Police Chief Jim Campbell, who takes his post on floor nine, said he is proud of the collaboration among his department, IMPD, Marion County Sherriff Department and the state police.

What happens on Pagoda command on race day, Campbell said, is "hopefully nothing."

But things do happen. There are hundreds of thousands of people in one place, after all.

"After the race ends on Sunday, I always sit back and say, 'Geez, how'd we do that?" said Bates.

David Letherman thinks the same thing as manager of logistics manager and event operations at IMS. He is in charge of the 580 safety patrol folks in yellow shirts and he and his team operate from the ninth floor.

Those safety patrol workers are responsible for driving golf cars, parking, manning elevators, ushering in the stands, scanning tickets at gates, traffic, parking and direction on the inside of the track and outside lot parking, checking credentials in suites, garage and pits and traffic movement.

If a bus breaks down and needs to get out of the way, Letherman's group does that. If a scanner goes down, he'll talk to the ticket office to get a new one. The people in yellow shirts have so much institutional knowledge of the Indy 500 and the track that often they are calling important issues in, he said.

His team communicates minute by minute with the yellow shirts who are out and about.

"If you are up here on race day at 5 a.m. every single person up here would be on the phone, texting, on the radio," said Austin Pontius, senior manager of event personnel. "It's amazing."

On the other side of floor nine is the operations side. The medical staff, the call-takers, dispatchers. If there is an incident at an intersection, this team helps divert traffic. INDOT is there, state excise police, undercover. On race day, up to 40 people sit in this room.

"All the decisions kind of come from this room up here," said Jason Dierdorff, captain of Speedway Police.

The ninth floor is also home to TV; the NBC studio overlooks the track. The IMS radio network is housed on this floor, too.

And all those big boards fans see as they walk about IMS are controlled from the ninth floor of the Pagoda. The man in charge is Rich Feinberg, now with IMS but for years the producer of ABC's Indy 500 coverage.

There are 43 boards on the property he and his team must populate. What is displayed on each screen depends upon what's happening that day.

"When there are cars on the track, we are trying to educate our fans as to the competition," Feinberg said. "When it's pre-race we're trying to entertain them. We think of it as we're their binoculars."

The track is so big, it's impossible for a fan to see everything that is happening, as it would be at a football game or concert.

"We want them to experience everything, so we try to be the eyes for them on what's important," he said.

Floor 10: Celebs hang out

Inside the penthouse suite on floor 10 Sunday, former Atlanta Hawks player Kevin Willis and gold medal Olympian sprinter Justin Gatlin mingled. After he waved the green flag "This Is Us" star Milo Ventimiglia came up to hang out.

This is Gainbridge's suite, the title sponsor of the Indy 500, and it settles for nothing less than spectacular inside the smallest suite (the Pagoda floors get smaller the higher they are) in the house.

Each year, a group comes in and completely transforms the space from the walls to the lighting.

"We bring it all in and then we strip it all down when we're done," said Melissa Jacobs, senior vice president of sponsorships and corporate communications for Gainbridge and its parent company, Group 1001.

The suite on Sunday morning had a breakfast buffet of red chili beef, bacon, potatoes and scrambled eggs. The space isn't a bunch of cocktail tables scattered about but is interactive with sectionals and a massive TV to livestream the NBC coverage. DJ Gabby Love entertained the group of about 80.

Decor includes car parts, shoes and gloves of Colton Herta with Andretti Autosport, who drives the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda.

But what might be the best part of the suite, said Jacobs, is that view from the deck.

"Except for the front straightaway," she said. "You can see all the way around."

Up on the roof: Penske soaks it in

The roof is an exclusive place at the peak of the pagoda. Few get up there. And those who do have important roles.

During the national anthem, officials managing the flyover take to the top of the pagoda to guide the U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets from the 187th Fighter Wing soaring over IMS. It's their best vantage point to see what they need to see, said Boles, talking to the television programs, listening to what's going on and talking to the pilots.

Other who's who of Indiana often get a chance. Sometimes Gov. Holcomb will bring up an ambassador or two.

And, finally, high atop the tiny roof, Penske takes his place on race day — maybe for five minutes. Maybe for 15. Maybe longer. Maybe more than once throughout the running of IndyCar's showcase. He likes to stand and soak it all in from that viewpoint, said Boles.

To soak in just how spectacular it all is.

Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on Twitter: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via email: dbenbow@indystar.com.