For those on the pursuit of happiness, where you live could greatly impact your journey. Although happiness is defined differently by everyone, WalletHub has conducted a survey determining the happiest and least happy states in the country. The company based their survey off findings of past “happiness” research to determine which environmental factors are linked to a person’s overall well-being and satisfaction with life. Research has determined that good economic, emotional, physical, and social health are all key to a well-balanced and fulfilled life.
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“To determine where Americans exhibit the best combination of these factors, we examined the 50 states across 32 key metrics, ranging from the depression rate and the positive COVID-19 testing rate to income growth and the unemployment rate,” reads the WalletHub website.
The company compared all 50 states based on these criteria: emotional and physical well-being, work environment, and community and environment. They concluded that Hawaii is the happiest state, ranking well in each of these categories, while Utah takes second place. At the bottom of the list comes West Virginia, as the least happy state in the country, with Arkansas coming in second to last place.
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Here are the top 10 happiest states according to WalletHub:
1. Hawaii
2. Utah
3. Minnesota
4. New Jersey
5. Maryland
6. California
7. North Dakota
8. Iowa
9. Idaho
10. Connecticut
The 10 least happy states are:
41. Oregon
42. Alaska
43. Alabama
44. Mississippi
45. Tennessee
46. Kentucky
47. Louisiana
48. Oklahoma
49. Arkansas
50. West Virginia
Check out the WalletHub survey results for the complete list as well as additional insight from a panel of experts and a full description of their methodology.