Honolulu Condos

Hawaii among states with the happiest residents

According to the "Honolulu Advertiser", people in sunny, outdoorsy states - Louisiana, Hawaii, Florida - say they're the happiest Americans, and researchers think they know why.

A new study comparing self-described pleasant feelings with objective measures of good living found these folks generally have reason to feel fine.

The places where people are most likely to report happiness also tend to rate high on studies comparing things like climate, crime rates, air quality and schools.

The happiness ratings were based on a survey of 1.3 million people across the country by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It used data collected over four years that included a question asking people how satisfied they are with their lives.

Economists Andrew J. Oswald of the University of Warwick in England and Stephen Wu of Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., compared the happiness ranking with studies that rated states on a variety of criteria ranging from availability of public land to commuting time to local taxes.

Probably not surprisingly, their report in Friday's edition of the journal Science found the happiest people tend to live in the states that do well in quality-of-life studies.

Yet Oswald says "this is the first objective validation of 'happiness' data," which is something he says economists have been reluctant to use in the past.

"Very loosely, you could say that we prove that happiness data are 'true,' - such data have genuine objective informational content," he said.

"Moreover," Oswald added, "it is interesting to uncover the pattern of life-satisfaction across one of the world's important nations."

Ranking No. 1 in happiness was Louisiana, home of Dixieland music and Cajun/Creole cooking.

Oswald urged a bit of caution in that ranking, however, noting that part of the happiness survey occurred before Hurricane Katrina struck the state, and part of it took place later. Nevertheless, he said, "We have no explicit reason to think there is a problem" with the ranking.

Rounding out the happy five were Hawaii, Florida, Tennessee and Arizona.

At the other end of the scale, last in happiness - is New York state.

As if to illustrate the problem, residents attending a meeting Wednesday in rural Queensbury unleashed their anger and cynicism at a state government they described as corrupt, self-dealing and too quick to increase taxes. It was a tirade that had one lifelong resident saying he was ready to flee "this stinkin' state."

Oswald suggested the long commutes, congestion and high prices around New York City account for some of the unhappiness.

He said he has been asked if the researchers expected that states like New York and California, which ranked 46th, would do so badly in the happiness ranking.

"I am only a little surprised," he said. "Many people think these states would be marvelous places to live in. The problem is that if too many individuals think that way, they move into those states, and the resulting congestion and house prices make it a non-fulfilling prophecy."

Besides being interesting, the state-by-state pattern has scientific value, Oswald explained.

"We wanted to study whether people's feelings of satisfaction with their own lives are reliable, that is, whether they match up to reality - of sunshine hours, congestion, air quality, etceteras - in their own state. And they do match."

Oswald and Wu used data from CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System collected from 2005 to 2008. The survey, launched in 1984, collects information on a variety of health measures.

To learn more about Hawaii culture and resources, please visit our website for Honolulu Condos.

KanDoo! Island is a floating pleasure dome by day or night

There are sooooo many fun activities to be found in and around Honolulu and Waikiki!

KanDoo! Island, a floating playground 200 yards off Waikiki, has officially launched. The "island," a steel catamaran that includes a water slide, water trampoline, sun deck, four bars and food service among its attractions, offers more than 20 ocean activities, from ultimate parasailing (1,000 feet high) to underwater helmet diving - without getting your hair wet - to swimming and snorkeling. Or visitors can simply zone out on the sun deck.

The 148-foot-by-48-foot vessel is moored in about 50 feet of water roughly opposite the Sheraton Waikiki.

KanDoo! Island operates 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily with food and beverages served all day. After sunset, KanDoo! becomes a romantic evening getaway spot/night-club. Shuttle boats depart Kewalo Basin every 20 minutes. A four-hour admission to the island is $20 for adults, $10 children, plus cost of activities. Kama'aina now get four hours free admission and 25 percent off activities. http://www.gokandoo.com/.

And, if you'd like to learn more about activities and lifestyle in Honolulu, please click here.

The islands' laid-back charm and no-rush attitude are known around the world, but a new study may confirm what residents have known all along - Hawaii is the least-stressed state in the nation...according to a recent national study.

When times are hard on many Americans, there is no other place I would rather be than a place that helps ease stress.  Warm sun, great beaches, laid back lifestyle.  Life truly is easier on the mind here, but I guess we need a study to prove this to the world?

According to the study, to be published in the June issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, "The Aloha State had the nation's lowest rate of frequent mental distress, or FMD, for adults. Hawaii's rate of 6.6 percent was lower than the national average of 9.4 percent"

It is easy to work in these conditions!