Massachusetts was ranked in the second quintile of the Gallup-Healthways “State of American Well-Being: 2016 Community Well-Being Rankings” on Tuesday, just two weeks after U.S. News and World Report ranked Massachusetts No. 1 in their Best States Rankings released this year.
Boston also landed in the second group for community rankings, according to the Gallup-Healthways report, ranked as the 58th best community. Massachusetts ranked 14th in the state rankings.
Researchers focused on five elements of well-being: purpose, social, financial, community and physical well-being, according to the report, and used data collected by conducting telephone interviews with adults across the country.
Well-being reports like this represent a recent trend data journalism, as states nationwide have been awarded vastly different rankings in different reports, according to Paul Reynolds, the content editor and head of the data studies team at ValuePenguin, a research company whose findings have appeared in publications including the U.S. News and World Report.
ValuePenguin recently ranked several Massachusetts cities highly in well-being reports. For example, Boston ranked 24th on their list of cities best-equipped for healthy lifestyles, The Daily Free Press reported Feb. 14.
Reynolds said conflicting rankings result from different human interpretations of the same data, and compared these data reports to regular news stories.
“If you take … two publications and you have them tackle those things independently, they’re going to take a tack on it that is different,” Reynolds said. “If you take two reporters and put them on the same story, they’re going to get a different take on it and reach different conclusions.”
Reynolds advised consumers who are confused by conflicting rankings to learn more about the organization’s methodology and to consider the source of the information in order to decide if reports are valid, as companies often pay media outlets to write stories from a particular angle.
“As news consumers, people need to be aware of the ways companies are using content now to tell their own story and promote their products,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds said ValuePenguin tries to maintain transparency about how it obtains results, but consumers should remain aware of the subjectivity that goes into the process.
“In some ways it’s more of an art than a science,” Reynolds said of the rankings. “There’s certainly an element there of … personal editorial choice as far as which attribute is more important and which one to weigh more heavily.”
Reynolds said he believes the popularity behind these ranking reports stems from individuals’ natural desire to compare themselves to their peers.
“I think there is always an interest in how where you live stacks up against other places, especially if you have rivalries with other places,” Reynolds said. “[Rankings] can [also] be useful … for people deciding where to retire, where has the lowest income tax [and] where’s the best place to live if you’re a young person.”
Several Boston residents said they value these types of well-being reports because they provide insight into important aspects of living in certain areas, especially with regard to healthcare coverage.
Paul Governor, 57, of Allston, said he values the Massachusetts healthcare system and likes the fact that ranking reports hold states responsible for providing good healthcare.
“I wouldn’t want to go back to the days where you couldn’t get healthcare if you couldn’t afford it,” Governor said. “I think everybody should have healthcare, but it isn’t something you should be fined for.”
Davon Elwin, 40, of Dorchester, said he appreciated the fact that reports highlight well-being and healthcare in their rankings to inform people about what states provide the best coverage.
“Sometimes medicine isn’t covered,” Elwin said. “It’s done on co-pay. My kid takes medicine, and I know when I go to get it, you have to shell out extra money.”
Catherine Ryan, 52, of South Boston, said ranking reports are a useful tool for people who are making important life decisions in general.
“Rankings give people the ability to make educated decisions on where to live,” Ryan said.
Alyssa Meyers and Hannah Harn contributed to the reporting of this article.
