Emily Chan
Across the United States, people are facing difficult times and enduring different kinds of hardships.
For instance, the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis have caused people to struggle to make ends meet and their overall health to decline. All the stress has taken a toll on people’s levels of happiness.
According to Gallup, only 47 percent of Americans reported being “very satisfied” with their lives. Although times may be tough, the state in which you live can have an impact on how happy you are as well.
A study from WalletHub used three key categories—emotional/physical well-being, work environment, and community and environment—to rank the happiness levels of each state.
“The happiest states are those that provide above-average quality of life in a wide variety of areas, from strong state economies and high quality physical and mental health care to adequate amounts of leisure time and good weather,” said Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst.
The happiest state in the U.S. is Hawaii, with an overall score of 68.71. Hawaii had the lowest depression rate in America, and 86 percent of adults reported they were in good or better health. However, Hawaii is also one of the most expensive states in which to live.
According to a report from the University of Hawaii, only one in five households can afford to buy a single-family home. The average home price in Honolulu is $1,674,195, and the monthly energy bill is about $360.
Surprisingly, other warm, sunny states like Florida and California didn’t even make it into the top 10. The Sunshine State ranked number 14, while the Golden State ranked number 13.
In second place for happiest state in the U.S. is Maryland. The personal finance website determined that Maryland had a score of 64.67. Maryland’s capital city, Annapolis, is also touted as the world’s sailing capital. Although Maryland is the second happiest state in America, the cost of living is 16 percent higher than the national average.
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