If you had to guess what the happiest state in America is, which would you choose?
And what would you base it on?
Everyone will have different answers to these questions, but it turns out someone has actually crunched some hard numbers to try and determine an objective answer.
And that answer might surprise you!
Actually, it won’t at all — the happiest state in America is Hawaii thanks to its fantastic weather, incredible landscapes, and high living standards.
The only downside?
It’s expensive as hell to live there.
In fact, Hawaii has the highest average home price in America.
But if you can’t afford Hawaii, are there some better options a little further down the list of most joyful states that might interest you?
And what’s the №1 most depressed state you should avoid at all costs?
Read on!
The happiest states in America
Each year, the personal finance website WalletHub ranks every state in America from happiest to saddest.
It does so using a wide range of criteria drawn from a wide range of sources, but effectively the rating comes down to three main categories:
- Emotional & Physical Well-Being (life expectancy, rate of alcohol use disorder, depression statistics, food insecurity rate, etc.)
- Work Environment (unemployment rate, average commute times, median credit score, etc.)
- Community & Environment (ideal weather, volunteer and leisure time rates, divorce rate, etc.)
Using these criteria, WalletHub determined the three happiest states are:
- Hawaii
- Maryland
- New Jersey
Here, according to the site, is why those Hawaiians are so darn happy:
“Hawaii is the happiest state, living up to its reputation as an island paradise, with residents reporting the highest levels of life satisfaction in the nation and the lowest depression rate.
“Hawaiians also enjoy great physical health, with 86% of adults reporting that they are in good or better health, the second-best percentage in the nation.
“Hawaiians also have the longest life expectancy in the U.S., and nearly 72% of adults in the state report being active and productive on a daily basis.
“To top things off, positive economic conditions help Hawaiians stay happy. Hawaii has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, at 2.8%, as well as the second-highest share of households with an annual income above $75,000.
“And while that means residents are working hard, they still get to enjoy the third-most leisure time in the country.”
Sign me up!
Jersey always surprises me when it ranks near the top of these types of things (probably because I’ve only ever been to Newark), but it just keeps delivering.
Recently I wrote about another quality of life ranking, and the Garden State reached №3 there.
What finished last in that ranking?
Texas.
But WalletHub suggests there’s a worse option out there.
The most depressed state in America
Does the low quality of life in Texas also make it the most depressed?
Not so fast.
Although Texas has room to improve in areas like healthcare and inclusion, CNBC ranked it as the Number 1 state for business friendliness.
Access to money tends to make people a bit happier, doesn’t it?
No, according to WalletHub, the saddest state in America — and this one might actually surprise you — is Louisiana.
Although the first thing that pops into most people’s heads when they think about Louisiana is Mardi Gras, evidently it’s less of a party if you actually live there.
Terrible rankings across the board
In fact, it ranked terribly across the board:
- Emotional & Physical Well-Being rank: 49th
- Work Environment rank: 49th
- Community & Environment rank: 40th
WalletHub isn’t alone in slamming Louisiana.
Earlier this year, U.S News and World Report ranked it as the overall worst state in America.
Crushing poverty, lots of violent crime, high obesity rates, and sometimes disastrous weather all play a part.
Written By: James Julian
This article was originally published on Medium.