Where you live is a determining factor of your overall level of happiness. Regardless of the universal feeling of pandemic fatigue, there are some US states that have fared better than others. What constitutes a happy life for an individual is not straightforward, so WalletHub set out to see which are the happiest and unhappiest states based on factors that can be scientifically measured.
Photo: WalletHub
The Happiest States in the US, Mapped
In this study, WalletHub compared data all 50 states under three broad categories: emotional and physical well-being, work environment, and community and environment. It perhaps comes as no surprise that during the peak of the pandemic, four out of ten adults across the US reported systems of anxiety or depression. The group took into consideration 31 key metrics ranging from factors such as the state’s depression rate, level of unemployment, mean income, and the number of recorded positive COVID tests.
Source: WalletHub
Top 10 happiest states
- Utah
- Minnesota
- Hawaii
- California
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Idaho
- Maryland
- New Jersey
- Massachusetts
Among the happiest states, New Jersey, California, and Hawaii have the lowest reported levels of adult depression, while Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia are stated as being some of the unhappiest states with the highest levels of adult depression.
Top 10 unhappinest states
- West Virginia
- Arkansas
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Oklahoma
- Kentucky
- Tennessee
- Alabama
- Alaska
- New Mexico
For the full list of the happiest and unhappiest states and to check out where your state ranks, you can visit WalletHub’s website. 