Providence Residents Not Very Good Keeping New Year's Resolutions

Providence Residents Not Very Good Keeping New Year's Resolutions

The new year is in full swing, but Worcester residents are not too good at following through on their resolutions.

According to a recent study completed by WalletHub, Providence residents are ranked 145th in the U.S. out of 182 ranked cities when it comes to following through on New Year’s resolutions.

“If you live in a neighborhood with no sidewalks or fitness centers nearby, for example, you may not feel as encouraged to exercise. The same goes if most of your restaurant options are limited to fast food - you may be less likely to eat healthy on days you dine out. These might sound like excuses to the boldest resolvers, but they genuinely can get in the way of self-improvement. That’s especially true if your motivation is low to begin with,” writes WalletHub about overall trends.

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In Providence, there are plenty of sidewalks maybe just not enough discipline to stay with the resolutions.

WalletHub adds that the resolution failure rate is as high as 92 percent across the country, depending on the survey.

Providence’s Rankings

• 79th Best - Health resolutions
• 140th Best - Financial resolutions
• 171st Best - School & work resolutions
• 165th Best - Bad-habit resolutions
• 99 Best - Relationship resolutions

 

The Rankings 

Providence is ranked behind Dover, Delaware, and Juneau, Alaska, who rank 143rd and 144th overall.

Providence is ranked ahead of New Orleans, Lousiania and Springfield, Missouri, who rank 146th and 147th overall.

Gulfport, Mississippi is ranked as the worst city in the U.S. for New Year’s resolutions, while San Diego, California is ranked as the best city.

See the Full Rankings int he Map Below

 

The Method

In order to determine the best cities for keeping your New Year’s resolutions, WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across five key dimensions: 1) Health Resolutions, 2) Financial Resolutions, 3) School & Work Resolutions, 4) Bad-Habit Resolutions and 5) Relationship Resolutions.

They evaluated those dimensions using 57 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for achieving one’s New Year’s goals.

Lastly, WalletHub determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample. In determining our sample, we considered only the city proper in each case, excluding cities in the surrounding metro area.

Health Resolutions – Total Points: 20

• Share of Obese Adults: Double Weight (~4.00 Points)
• Share of Adults Not Exercising: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
• Access to Exercise Opportunities: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
• Access to Healthy-Food Stores: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
• Inadequate Fruit & Vegetable Consumption: Full* Weight (~2.00 Points)
• Share of Residents Who Say They Eat Healthy: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
• Fitness Centers per Capita: Full** Weight (~2.00 Points)
• Weight-Loss Centers per Capita: Full** Weight (~2.00 Points)
• Average Monthly Fitness-Club Fee: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)

 

Financial Resolutions – Total Points: 20

• Median Annual Income: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
• Income Growth (2014–2018): Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
• Median Credit Score: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
• Median Credit-Card Debt: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
• Share of Delinquent Debtors: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
• Mortgage Debt: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
• Note: “Debt” was calculated per person as share of median earnings.
• Non-Mortgage Debt: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
• Debt-to-Income Ratio: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
• Share of Households with Emergency Savings: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
• Homeownership Rate: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
• Rental Affordability: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
• Housing Affordability: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
• Poverty Rate: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)
• Financial-Products Comparison: Full Weight (~1.43 Points)

 

School & Work Resolutions – Total Points: 20

• Share of Public Schools Rated by GreatSchools.org with Above Average Score: Double Weight (~2.50 Points)
• Average Quality of Universities: Full Weight (~1.25 Points)
• High School Dropout Rate: Full Weight (~1.25 Points)
• Job Opportunities: Full Weight (~1.25 Points)
• Median Annual Income: Full Weight (~1.25 Points)
• Income Growth (2014–2018): Full Weight (~1.25 Points)
• Unemployment Rate: Double Weight (~2.50 Points)
• Underemployment Rate: Double Weight (~2.50 Points)
• Job Security: Full Weight (~1.25 Points)
• Job Satisfaction: Full Weight (~1.25 Points)
• Gallup-Sharecare State of American Well-Being “Purpose” Rank: Full Weight (~1.25 Points)
• Employment Outlook: Full Weight (~1.25 Points)
• Business Startup-Friendliness: Full Weight (~1.25 Points)

 

Bad-Habit Resolutions – Total Points: 20

• Binge- & Heavy Drinking: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
• Share of Adult Smokers: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
• Share of Marijuana Users: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
• Access to Opioids: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
• Drug Overdose-Related Deaths: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
• Share of Adults with Gambling Disorders: Full* Weight (~2.22 Points)
• Share of Adults with Inadequate Sleep: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
• Share of Adults in Fair or Poor Health: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
• Share of Adults Who Visited a Doctor and/or Dentist in the Past Year: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)

 

Relationships Resolutions – Total Points: 20

• Nightlife Establishments per Capita: Full** Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Restaurants per Capita: Full** Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Attractions: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Park Playgrounds per Capita: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Parkland Acres per Capita: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Average Wedding Cost: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Family-Friendliness: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Fun Opportunities: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Singles-Friendliness: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Sports Fan-Friendliness: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Gallup-Sharecare State of American Well-Being “Social” Rank: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Share of Residents Who Regularly Talk or Spend Time with Friends and Family: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)

 

PHOTO: Bastian/Flickr Commons