Are you happy?
It’s a question that, in theory, can be answered with a simple yes or no, while at the same time taking into account myriad things—the love present in your life, for example, not to mention the fulfillment you derive from your work and your hobbies and your economic stability. But what about the state in which you live? Not the emotional condition you average out to day-to-day, oh no—the literal state, assuming you’re an American, in which you reside “may have an impact on how happy you are,” according to WalletHub.
In putting forth this hypothesis, the personal finance website considered three key dimensions: emotional and physical well-being, work environment, and community & environment. The former takes into account matters such as career well-being, physical health index, and share of adult depression. Work environment concerns commute time, financial anxiety, and unemployment rate. Community & environment looks at ideal weather, average leisure time, and safety among other things.
The survey finds Utah to be the happiest state, ranking number one in work environment and community & environment, but 25th in emotional and physical well-being. Taking the top spot in that category is overall number two Hawaii, which counts the lowest share of adult depression of any state. Maryland, Minnesota, and New Jersey round out the top five.
West Virginia, meanwhile, places last on the list with three times the share of adult depression as Hawaii—the worst in the country. Along with the Mountain State, the top five unhappiest states in descending order are Louisiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Kentucky. Coming in at 25, Pennsylvania is the true neutral.
Other highlights of the survey include a tie between North (no. 13 overall) and South Dakota (no. 18) for lowest long-term unemployment rate and Colorado (no. 31) with the highest sports participation and adequate sleep rates. Vermont (no. 28) scores highest for safety.
