Florida among least lonely states nationally

Florida has one of the lowest rates of loneliness in the country, according to the latest vibe check from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Why it matters: Feelings of isolation and loneliness are a real public health threat — so much so that Surgeon General Vivek Murthy last year issued an advisory on the matter.

Driving the news: In the newest Household Pulse Survey (HPS), 40.3% of American adults said they experienced feelings of loneliness at least sometimes.

• The HPS is a brief online survey designed to quickly assess Americans' economic and financial wellbeing, among other topics.
• This run was conducted between July 23-Aug. 19, with nearly 60,000 respondents.

Zoom in: Florida (37.5%) had some of the lowest rates of loneliness, as did the greater Miami area.

• Of the 16 metro areas surveyed, the Miami-metro area tied with the greater Philadelphia metro area for last, with 37.1% of respondents reporting feeling lonely sometimes, usually or always.

Zoom out: Alaska (45.9%), Oregon (44.7%) and Virginia (43.3%) had the highest rates of loneliness.

• Iowa (35.9%), Delaware (36.5%) and Wisconsin (37%) had the lowest.

Between the lines: Feelings of loneliness may be at least partially tied to weather — it would be no surprise if people up north started feeling a little more isolated in the cold slog of deep winter.