A State Of Happiness
What makes people happy? Of course it's not the same for everybody, but there are some general factors that one can look at that tend to contribute to the overall happiness levels of people. Or at least that's what the folks over at WalletHub think—and to prove it, they've gone and ranked the 50 states in order of happiness.
Methodology
In order to determine the happiest state, they gave every state a total happiness score based on their ranking in three main categories: Emotional & Physical Well-Being, Work Environment, and Community & Environment.
A state's rank within each category was determined via a multitude of metrics, including:
Emotional & Physical Well-Being (50 points): Career Well-Being, Physical Health Index, Adequate-Sleep Rate, Life Expectancy, and more...
Work Environment (25 points): Number of Work Hours, Commute Time, Economic Security, Share of Households Earning Annual Incomes Above $75,000, and more...
Community & Environment (25 points): Ideal Weather, Average Leisure Time Spent per Day, Separation & Divorce Rate, Safety, and more...
So, what is the happiest state? Let's find out...
50: Louisiana
Total Score: 32.97
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 49
Work Environment Rank: 49
Community & Environment Rank: 40
Notes: Louisiana has the third-highest divorce rate in the country. It is also ranked the least safe state in the union.
49: Arkansas
Total Score: 37.09
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 50
Work Environment Rank: 43
Community & Environment Rank: 25
Notes: Arkansas has the fourth-highest share of adult depression in the country and the second lowest sports participation rate.
Cliff, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
48: West Virginia
Total Score: 38.09
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 47
Work Environment Rank: 50
Community & Environment Rank: 7
47: Tennessee
Total Score: 40.32
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 46
Work Environment Rank: 24
Community & Environment Rank: 34
Notes: Adult depression is highest in Tennessee.
Cheryl A. Austin, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
46: New Mexico
Total Score: 40.82
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 45
Work Environment Rank: 47
Community & Environment Rank: 24
Asaavedra32, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
45: Alaska
Total Score: 41.44
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 33
Work Environment Rank: 48
Community & Environment Rank: 44
Notes: Alaska has the lowest income growth in the country.
44: Alabama
Total Score: 41.67
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 42
Work Environment Rank: 33
Community & Environment Rank: 42
DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
43: Oklahoma
Total Score: 41.74
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 48
Work Environment Rank: 36
Community & Environment Rank: 5
42: Mississippi
Total Score: 41.83
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 41
Work Environment Rank: 40
Community & Environment Rank: 35
41: Kentucky
Total Score: 42.88
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 44
Work Environment Rank: 46
Community & Environment Rank: 16
40: Ohio
Total Score: 43.55
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 40
Work Environment Rank: 35
Community & Environment Rank: 36
39: Oregon
Total Score: 44.95
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 35
Work Environment Rank: 29
Community & Environment Rank: 43
38: Texas
Total Score: 45.56
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 23
Work Environment Rank: 39
Community & Environment Rank: 49
BenjaminMonroy, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
37: Nevada
Total Score: 45.88
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 36
Work Environment Rank: 44
Community & Environment Rank: 20
Notes: Nevada has the second-highest divorce rate.
36: Indiana
Total Score: 45.92
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 38
Work Environment Rank: 41
Community & Environment Rank: 23
35: Colorado
Total Score: 46.29
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 29
Work Environment Rank: 26
Community & Environment Rank: 48
Notes: Coloradans have the highest sports participation rate in the country.
James St. John, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
34: Wyoming
Total Score: 47.07
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 39
Work Environment Rank: 37
Community & Environment Rank: 15
Paul Brady Photography, Shutterstock
33: Montana
Total Score: 48.12
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 43
Work Environment Rank: 6
Community & Environment Rank: 12
5of7, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
32: Missouri
Total Score: 48.30
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 37
Work Environment Rank: 18
Community & Environment Rank: 26
Carlos Santa Maria, Adobe Stock
31: Michigan
Total Score: 49.66
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 31
Work Environment Rank: 23
Community & Environment Rank: 27
30: Vermont
Total Score: 50.45
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 34
Work Environment Rank: 2
Community & Environment Rank: 38
Notes: When it comes to getting adequate amounts of sleep, Vermonters are number one in the country. Vermont is also ranked the safest state in the union.
Jonathanking, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
29: Rhode Island
Total Score: 50.77
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 16
Work Environment Rank: 8
Community & Environment Rank: 50
Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
28: Washington
Total Score: 51.11
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 24
Work Environment Rank: 38
Community & Environment Rank: 18
Ted Eytan, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
27: North Dakota
Total Score: 51.35
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 28
Work Environment Rank: 11
Community & Environment Rank: 41
26: Maine
Total Score: 51.56
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 32
Work Environment Rank: 13
Community & Environment Rank:17
Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
25: Arizona
Total Score: 52.13
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 26
Work Environment Rank: 28
Community & Environment Rank: 14
24: North Carolina
Total Score: 52.34
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 17
Work Environment Rank: 25
Community & Environment Rank: 37
Precisionviews, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
23: New York
Total Score: 52.46
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 7
Work Environment Rank: 42
Community & Environment Rank: 46
22: Pennsylvania
Total Score: 53.18
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 22
Work Environment Rank: 19
Community & Environment Rank: 29
Adam Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
21: Wisconsin
Total Score: 53.23
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 21
Work Environment Rank: 17
Community & Environment Rank: 31
college.library, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
20: Georgia
Total Score: 53.84
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 18
Work Environment Rank: 20
Community & Environment Rank: 30
19: Iowa
Total Score: 54.22
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 19
Work Environment Rank: 30
Community & Environment Rank: 11
Vkulikov, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
18: Kansas
Total Score: 54.23
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 25
Work Environment Rank: 22
Community & Environment Rank: 9
Airtuna08, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
17: Illinois
Total Score: 54.39
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 8
Work Environment Rank: 34
Community & Environment Rank: 39
16: Virginia
Total Score: 55.29
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 14
Work Environment Rank: 15
Community & Environment Rank: 32
14 (Tie): New Hampshire
Total Score: 55.38
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 20
Work Environment Rank: 9
Community & Environment Rank: 22
Billy Hathorn, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
14 (Tie): Florida
Total Score: 55.38
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 5
Work Environment Rank: 21
Community & Environment Rank: 47
13: California
Total Score: 55.63
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 9
Work Environment Rank: 45
Community & Environment Rank: 13
Newport Coast Media, Adobe Stock
12: South Dakota
Total Score: 57.62
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 13
Work Environment Rank: 12
Community & Environment Rank: 19
11: South Carolina
Total Score: 57.68
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 15
Work Environment Rank: 14
Community & Environment Rank: 10
w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
10: Massachusetts
Total Score: 58.24
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 4
Work Environment Rank: 5
Community & Environment Rank: 45
Nina R, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
9: Nebraska
Total Score: 58.60
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 11
Work Environment Rank: 7
Community & Environment Rank: 28
Collinulness, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
8: Idaho
Total Score: 58.84
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 30
Work Environment Rank: 3
Community & Environment Rank: 2
Christopher Boswell, Adobe Stock
7: Connecticut
Total Score: 60.14
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 6
Work Environment Rank: 16
Community & Environment Rank: 21
Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
6: Minnesota
Total Score: 60.43
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 12
Work Environment Rank: 4
Community & Environment Rank: 8
Michael Hicks, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
5: Delaware
Total Score: 60.43
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 10
Work Environment Rank: 27
Community & Environment Rank: 4
Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
4: Utah
Total Score: 62.20
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 27
Work Environment Rank: 1
Community & Environment Rank: 1
Notes: Utah has the lowest divorce rate in the country and the highest volunteer rate.
Garrett, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
3: New Jersey
Total Score: 62.46
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 2
Work Environment Rank: 32
Community & Environment Rank: 33
Notes: New Jersey residents are the lowest share of people reporting traumatic events during their childhood and the second-highest life satisfaction rate. It is also the state with the third-lowest separation and divorce rate in the country and the third-highest share of households earning over $75,000 per year.
Britt Reints, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
2: Maryland
Total Score: 64.67
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 3
Work Environment Rank: 10
Community & Environment Rank: 6
Notes: Low unemployment and generally favorable work conditions are part of why Maryland residents are the second-happiest in the country. Also, in surveys, Marylanders report the third-highest share of people who say they have supportive relationships and love in their lives.
1: Hawaii
Total Score: 68.71
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 1
Work Environment Rank: 31
Community & Environment Rank: 3
Notes: 86% of Hawaiian adults report that they are in good or better health, and it's the state with the highest life expectancy as well. Also, they have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, the second-highest share of households making over $75,000 a year, and residents enjoy the third-most leisure time in the country. They also have the lowest share of adult depression in the country.
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