Happiness comes from a combination of internal and external factors. We can influence it somewhat by approaching situations positively or choosing to spend time with people we love, doing activities we enjoy. It’s harder to be happy in some years than in others, though. For example, in 2023, high inflation remains a threat to Americans’ mental health. In fact, more than 75% of Americans who have experienced price increases where they live report feeling “very” or “moderately” stressed. In addition, only 50% of Americans feel “very satisfied” with the way their personal life is going.
Even though people across the U.S. are facing difficult times, the state in which you live may have an impact on how happy you are. In this study, WalletHub drew upon the findings of “happiness” research to determine which environmental factors are linked to a person’s overall well-being and satisfaction with life. Previous studies have found that good economic, emotional, physical and social health are all key to a well-balanced and fulfilled life.
To determine where Americans exhibit the best combination of these factors, we examined the 50 states across 30 key metrics, ranging from the depression rate and the share of adults feeling productive to income growth and the unemployment rate.
Main Findings
Happiest States in the U.S.
| Overall Rank* | State | Total Score | Emotional & Physical Well-Being | Work Environment | Community & Environment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah | 69.79 | 16 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Hawaii | 66.42 | 1 | 25 | 30 |
| 3 | Maryland | 64.62 | 8 | 4 | 5 |
| 4 | Minnesota | 62.82 | 10 | 3 | 13 |
| 5 | New Jersey | 61.98 | 3 | 14 | 29 |
| 6 | Connecticut | 60.68 | 6 | 32 | 8 |
| 7 | California | 60.53 | 5 | 34 | 10 |
| 8 | Florida | 59.31 | 2 | 21 | 44 |
| 9 | Idaho | 59.31 | 30 | 6 | 2 |
| 10 | Nebraska | 58.92 | 12 | 7 | 25 |
| 11 | Delaware | 58.68 | 11 | 29 | 6 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 58.43 | 4 | 16 | 48 |
| 13 | North Dakota | 58.02 | 14 | 5 | 21 |
| 14 | Virginia | 57.69 | 13 | 8 | 35 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | 57.29 | 20 | 19 | 9 |
| 16 | New York | 56.71 | 7 | 39 | 39 |
| 17 | Illinois | 56.23 | 9 | 37 | 40 |
| 18 | South Dakota | 55.93 | 27 | 9 | 16 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | 55.74 | 19 | 13 | 32 |
| 20 | South Carolina | 55.27 | 28 | 20 | 11 |
| 21 | Iowa | 55.03 | 18 | 18 | 37 |
| 22 | Washington | 54.87 | 26 | 23 | 12 |
| 23 | Kansas | 54.46 | 29 | 15 | 14 |
| 24 | Georgia | 54.10 | 24 | 30 | 15 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | 53.96 | 17 | 35 | 27 |
| 26 | North Carolina | 53.55 | 15 | 28 | 38 |
| 27 | Arizona | 53.48 | 21 | 33 | 23 |
| 28 | Vermont | 52.78 | 37 | 10 | 7 |
| 29 | Rhode Island | 52.40 | 22 | 12 | 46 |
| 30 | Maine | 51.99 | 31 | 11 | 24 |
| 31 | Colorado | 51.51 | 23 | 22 | 45 |
| 32 | Nevada | 50.71 | 33 | 46 | 3 |
| 33 | Michigan | 50.20 | 32 | 24 | 28 |
| 34 | Montana | 49.11 | 41 | 2 | 36 |
| 35 | Missouri | 48.64 | 39 | 17 | 22 |
| 36 | Wyoming | 48.06 | 38 | 26 | 19 |
| 37 | Ohio | 47.77 | 35 | 31 | 34 |
| 38 | Oregon | 47.67 | 34 | 36 | 31 |
| 39 | Texas | 47.66 | 25 | 40 | 50 |
| 40 | Indiana | 46.48 | 40 | 27 | 20 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | 44.09 | 46 | 43 | 4 |
| 42 | New Mexico | 43.49 | 43 | 45 | 17 |
| 43 | Alaska | 42.20 | 36 | 48 | 47 |
| 44 | Mississippi | 41.42 | 42 | 47 | 41 |
| 45 | Alabama | 40.82 | 44 | 44 | 42 |
| 46 | Kentucky | 40.58 | 47 | 41 | 26 |
| 47 | Arkansas | 39.72 | 49 | 42 | 18 |
| 48 | Tennessee | 38.30 | 45 | 38 | 49 |
| 49 | Louisiana | 35.86 | 48 | 49 | 43 |
| 50 | West Virginia | 35.08 | 50 | 50 | 33 |
Note: *No. 1 = Happiest
With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.
- Lowest
- 1. Hawaii
- 2. Florida
- 3. California
- T-4. Maryland
- T-4. South Dakota
- Highest
- 46. Arkansas
- 47. Tennessee
- 48. Vermont
- 49. Kentucky
- 50. West Virginia
- Highest
- 1. Colorado
- 2. Minnesota
- 3. Vermont
- 4. Nebraska
- 5. South Dakota
- Lowest
- 46. Pennsylvania
- 47. Kentucky
- 48. Alabama
- 49. Hawaii
- 50. West Virginia
- Highest
- 1. Colorado
- 2. Vermont
- T-3. Utah
- T-3. Washington
- 5. New Hampshire
- Lowest
- 46. Louisiana
- 47. Arkansas
- 48. Kentucky
- 49. Alabama
- 50. Mississippi
- Lowest
- 1. New Jersey
- 2. New York
- 3. Massachusetts
- 4. Maryland
- 5. Connecticut
- Highest
- 46. South Dakota
- 47. New Mexico
- 48. Alaska
- 49. Montana
- 50. Wyoming
- Fewest
- 1. Utah
- 2. Vermont
- 3. Rhode Island
- 4. Oregon
- T-5. Connecticut
- T-5. Massachusetts
- Most
- 46. Louisiana
- T-47. North Dakota
- T-47. Wyoming
- 49. Texas
- 50. Alaska
- Lowest
- T-1. North Dakota
- T-1. South Dakota
- 3. Montana
- T-4. Idaho
- T-4. Iowa
- T-4. Kansas
- Highest
- T-46. Connecticut
- T-46. New Jersey
- T-48. Delaware
- T-48. New York
- 50. Nevada
- Highest
- 1. California
- 2. Oregon
- 3. Washington
- 4. Idaho
- 5. Arizona
- Lowest
- 46. Oklahoma
- 47. Connecticut
- 48. Wyoming
- 49. North Dakota
- 50. Alaska
- Highest
- 1. Utah
- 2. Wyoming
- 3. Minnesota
- 4. Maine
- 5. South Dakota
- Lowest
- T-45. Hawaii
- T-45. New Mexico
- 47. Alabama
- 48. California
- 49. Nevada
- 50. Florida
- Lowest
- 1. Utah
- 2. North Dakota
- 3. New Jersey
- 4. Hawaii
- 5. Nebraska
- Highest
- 46. Florida
- 47. Mississippi
- 48. Louisiana
- 49. Nevada
- 50. New Mexico
- Safest
- 1. Vermont
- 2. Maine
- 3. New Hampshire
- 4. Utah
- 5. Hawaii
- Least Safe
- 46. Alabama
- 47. Texas
- 48. Arkansas
- 49. Mississippi
- 50. Louisiana
Ask the Experts
Happiness is more than a feeling of joy or excitement. It relies on various aspects of a person’s life — from emotional well-being to job satisfaction. To expand the discussion, we asked a panel of experts to share their advice and insight on achieving overall happiness and career contentment. Click on the experts’ profiles to read their bios and responses to the following key questions:
- What are the key ingredients to a happy life?
- How important is money to people’s happiness?
- What are the secrets to career contentment?
- How much does where you live influence your happiness?
- What are some steps a person can take to ensure a state of psychological well-being
Ask the Experts
Ph.D. – Professor of Psychology – University of Mary Washington
Read More
Joe Synar Chair and Professor of Management, Spears School of Business – Oklahoma State University
Read More
Professor, Department of Psychology – Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences and author of The Mindful Body: thinking our way to chronic health
Read More
Professor, Director of Undergraduate Studies, The Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, Department of Sociology – Cornell University
Read More
Associate Professor, Director of Engagement, Department of Marketing; Program Director Marketing Communications Major, Department Marketing, Monash Business School – Monash University
Read More
Professor, Human Resources and Organizational Development; ELOD Ph.D. Program Director; Editor, New Horizon’s in Adult Education and Human Resource Development, Educational Leadership, Evaluation, and Organizational Development, College of Education & Human Development – University of Louisville
Read More
Methodology
In order to determine the happiest states in America, WalletHub compared the 50 states across three key dimensions: 1) Emotional & Physical Well-Being, 2) Work Environment and 3) Community & Environment.
We evaluated those dimensions using 30 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 maximum happiness.
Finally, we determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.
Our analysis draws upon the findings of the following research, each of which has indicated a correlation between our data and happiness:
- Happy People Live Longer: Subjective Well-Being Contributes to Health and Longevity (Chan and Diener, 2010)
- Happiness from Ordinary and Extraordinary Experiences (Bhattacharjee and Mogilner, 2014)
- Sports Participation and Happiness: Evidence from U.S. Micro Data (Huang and Humphreys, 2010)
- Unhappy Cities (Glaeser, et al., 2014)
Emotional & Physical Well-Being - Total Points: 50
- Career Well-Being: Double Weight (~4.35 Points)
Note: This metric is based on Sharecare’s “Community Well-Being Index,” particularly the “Purpose” element, defined as “Liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve your goals.” - Physical Health Index: Full Weight (~2.17 Points)
Note: This metric measures self-reported effects of disease on personal happiness. - Adverse Childhood Experiences: Full Weight (~2.17 Points)
- Share of Adult Depression: Quadruple Weight (~8.70 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of adults aged 18 years and older who were diagnosed with depression. - Social Well-Being: Full Weight (~2.17 Points)
Note: This metric is based on Sharecare’s “Community Well-Being Index”, particularly the “Social” element, defined as “having supportive relationships and love in your life.” - Share of Adults with Alcohol Use Disorder: Double Weight (~4.35 Points)
- Adequate-Sleep Rate: Full Weight (~2.17 Points)
- Sports-Participation Rate: Full Weight (~2.17 Points)
- Share of Adults Feeling Active & Productive: Full Weight (~2.17 Points)
Note: This metric is based on Gallup’s “State of the States” poll and measures the share of state residents who reported feeling active and productive every day for seven days prior to polling. - Share of Adults with Mental Health Not Good: Triple Weight (~6.52 Points)
Note: Percentage of Adults With 14 or More Mental Unhealthy Days Reported in the Past Month. - Life Expectancy: Double Weight (~4.35 Points)
- Suicide Rate: Triple Weight (~6.52 Points)
- Food-Insecurity Rate: Full Weight (~2.17 Points)
Work Environment - Total Points: 25
- Number of Work Hours: Double Weight (~5.00 Points)
- Commute Time: Half Weight (~1.25 Points)
- Share of Households Earning Annual Incomes Above $75,000: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
- Share of Adults with Financial Anxiety: Half Weight (~1.25 Points)
Note: This metric measures the percentage of adults who agree that thinking about their personal finances makes them feel anxious. - Current Unemployment Rate: Half Weight (~1.25 Points)
- Share of Civilian Labor Force Unemployed 15 Weeks or Longer: Half Weight (~1.25 Points)
- Underemployment Rate: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
- Job Security: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
Note: This metric measures the probability of unemployment. - Share of Work-Related Stressed Tweets: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
Note: This metric is based on PlushCare’s analysis of retrieved geotagged tweets from 340 major cities in the U.S. - Income-Growth Rate: Half Weight (~1.25 Points)
- Economic Security: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
Note: This metric is based on Sharecare’s “Community Well-Being Index”, particularly the “Economic Security” element, defined as “community members who are employed, insured, and otherwise stable financially.” - Median Credit Score: Half Weight (~1.25 Points)
Community & Environment - Total Points: 25
- Volunteer Rate: Half Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Ideal Weather: Triple Weight (~10.00 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Cities with the Best & Worst Weather” ranking and was calculated as the average of the ranking for the top three cities by population in the state. - Average Leisure Time Spent per Day: Double Weight (~6.67 Points)
- Separation & Divorce Rate: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
- Safety: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Safest States in America” ranking.
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Feeding America, Gallup, TransUnion, Minnesota Population Center - University of Minnesota, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, County Health Rankings, the Sharecare Community Well-Being Index, Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health, FINRA Investor Education Foundation, PlushCare, AmeriCorps and WalletHub research.
