Santa Barbara was ranked 12th among U.S. communities with the most “well-being,” according to a report published this month by the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which surveyed 189 communities nationwide.
“Many of the top well-being communities hail from California,” the study said. The Golden State claimed seven of the top 25 cities. Santa Cruz ranked third, with San Luis Obispo at seventh.
California as a whole “was well represented,” noted New York Times California columnist Mike McPhate. “Geographical gifts, it would appear, don’t hurt.”