You're Better Off in Jersey

That's right -- a new study says so

So it turns out money does buy happiness.

Well, maybe not happiness, but the wealthier, better educated and more tolerant states in the U.S. are better off overall, according to a new study that dropped Tuesday on Yahoo.

Let's be honest, we didn't need a study to tell us that. But, we probably wouldn't have guessed that Utah would score No. 1 on the list.

And, we didn't guess that Jersey would beat both Pennsylvania and Delaware, rounding out the first half of states at No. 25 on the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Study.

OK, Delaware is barely a state. But Pennsylvania? It's happy here, right? But it seems that the Dirty Jerz is just plain happier, according to the well-being index.

But what is a well-being index? It was based on different types of well-being -- overall evaluation of life, emotional health, physical health, healthy behaviors and job satisfaction, said the study.

Yep, those exist, too.

Maybe that's the problem here -- Pennsylvanians aren't informed about how to actually have a higher well-being. Maybe people don't know about the Five Keys to Happiness or the 7 Thoughts That Are Bad For You.

Duh -- this must be the stuff they're reading in Utah.

But, why Jersey? Maybe it's the Boss or Bon Jovi or the Shore the put the Garden State ahead of its neighbors.

So, while Pennsylvania is stuck at No. 32 and Delaware is tied with New York -- weird -- at 36, Jersey residents now have new ammo against all the "Jersey sucks" jokes thrown their way.

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