The Happiest State in the U.S. Just Might Surprise You

Happiness can mean different things to different people. Factors like where you live, what you do, who your surround yourself with, and how you feel physically and emotionally are just some of the things that can contribute to our happiness levels. And the first part can play a big role, according to WalletHub.

The personal finance website found that 75% of Americans who have experienced inflation price increases where they live report feeling “very” or “moderately” stressed. And the team also found that only 50% of Americans feel “very satisfied” with the way their personal life is going. So WalletHub put together a study to find out the happiest states in America by drawing “upon the findings of ‘happiness’ research to determine which environmental factors are linked to a person’s overall well-being and satisfaction in life.” The factors included good economic, emotional, physical, and social health—which previous studies have found are “key to a well-balanced and fulfilled life.” To create the rankings, researchers examined the 50 states across 30 key metrics, like depression rates, physical health index, career well-being, commute time, income-growth rate, adequate-sleep rate, average leisure time spent per day, safety, and more.

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The state that took home the happiest crown was Utah, which had a total score of 69.79 (for context, the lowest-scored state was West Virginia with 35.08). Utah has the fewest mean work hours, highest volunteer rate, and lowest divorce rate; plus, it ranked number 4 in safety.

Other Western states also made the top 10—Hawaii was number 2, California was number 7, and Idaho was number 9. Hawaii has the lowest share of adult depression and California ranks third on that list. California also has the highest income growth—other states in the top five in that category were Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Arizona (in that order). Utah and Hawaii were also in the top 5 when it came to safety.

And although they didn’t make the top 10, other Western states had notable stats. Colorado had the highest adequate-sleep rate and sports participation rate. Montana was number 3 when it comes to the lowest long-term unemployment rate. And Oregon ranks number 4 for the fewest mean work hours.

Take a look at the top 10 and bottom 10 below and read more about the findings here.

The 10 Happiest States in the U.S.

1. Utah
2. Hawaii
3. Maryland
4. Minnesota
5. New Jersey
6. Connecticut
7. California
8. Florida
9. Idaho
10. Nebraska

The 10 Least Happiest States in the U.S.

1. Oklahoma
2. New Mexico
3. Alaska
4. Mississippi
5. Alabama
6. Kentucky
7. Arkansas
8. Tennessee
9. Louisiana
10. West Virginia