A new study has identified the states where happiness may not just be an aspiration but a daily reality.Â
The study, published by WalletHub on Monday, examined all 50 states across 30 key metrics, ranging from the depression rate to income growth to the unemployment rate.
The research team used the data to determine the happiest states in America in 2024.Â
“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,” Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, said in a statement.
Hawaii ranked as happiest state in America
The study found that Hawaii was 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.
People enjoy the weather at Kahanamoku Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Credit: Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
In addition, 86% of Hawaiian adults reported that they were in good or better health, the second-best percentage in the nation. Residents also had the longest life expectancy in the U.S., and nearly 72% of adults in the state reported being active and productive on a daily basis.
To top things off, positive economic conditions helped Hawaiians stay happy. The research team found that Hawaii had 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.Â
Maryland, New Jersey also rank as happiest states in US
Maryland was listed as the second-happiest state, in part because it had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, at 2.9%, along with the highest percentage of households earning over $75,000 per year.Â
Meanwhile, New Jersey ranked as the third-happiest state, with the lowest share of people reporting traumatic events during their childhood and the second-highest life satisfaction rate.
Meanwhile, Louisiana ranked in last as the least happy state in the U.S., followed by Arkansas and West Virginia.
Happiest states in America
HawaiiMarylandNew JerseyUtahDelawareMinnesotaConnecticutIdahoNebraskaMassachusetts US ranks 23rd in 2024 World Happiness Report
Earlier this year, the U.S. ranked 23rd in the 2024 World Happiness Report, a decline in the rankings driven by “a large drop in the wellbeing of Americans under 30.”Â
Last year, the U.S. ranked 15th.
RELATED: World’s happiest countries revealed in 2024 report, and US no longer ranks in top 20
Finland remained at the top, ranking No. 1 for the seventh year in a row. Denmark was very close, and all five Nordic countries were in the top 10.Â
Meanwhile, Afghanistan remained at the bottom of the overall rankings as the world’s “unhappiest” nation, the report said.
The Source
Data used to create WalletHub’s rankings were collected as of May 16, 2024 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Feeding America, Gallup, TransUnion, University of Minnesota, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, County Health Rankings, the Sharecare Community Well-Being Index, Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health, FINRA Investor Education Foundation, PlushCare, AmeriCorps and WalletHub research.
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Publish date : 2024-09-09 12:52:00
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