How High Is Your Level Of Well-Being? [POLL/AUDIO]

A new survey ranks New Jersey 32nd in the nation when it comes to the well-being of local residents.

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index factors in six components of well-being, including how people evaluate their own lives, their emotional and physical health , their work environment, healthy behaviors and their basic access to fundamental needs.

Jersey comes in next to last - in 49th place - for healthy work environments, and the state is 42nd for emotional health.

"It's not surprising because it's a very high stress State - for multiple reasons - one is the pace of our lives, and I think we're always running around, jumping from here to there," says Psychologist Dr. Steven Tobias."

He says another factor is New Jersey's high unemployment rate, which even makes residents who have a job feel insecure, and our high property and income taxes also cause stress and nervousness.

Dr. Tobias is quick to add there are many wonderful things about New Jersey, a lot of positive things, but people are facing a lot of stress.

He also says it's very possible that "the more educated and intelligent the population - the more people are going to be aware of all the stressful factors in our lives, so sometimes ignorance is bliss."

The survey finds Hawaii has the highest level of well-being, while West Virgina has the lowest.