Happiest States In America

by Author Contribution 09/12/2023

written by Author Contribution 09/12/2023

WalletHub compared the 50 states across 30 key indicators of happiness.

By Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial Writer

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.

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.