FAQs
What are the happiest states in the US?
The happiest states in the US are Massachusetts, Illinois, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Minnesota, California, Hawaii, and Vermont. Massachusetts is the happiest state as it has the highest income per capita, long-lasting marriages with lower divorce rates, and abundant social policies that guarantee people's rights.
What is the happiest city in the US?
The happiest city in the USA is Fremont, California. The city has great indices related to quality of life.
What is the unhappiest state in the US?
The unhappiest state in the US is West Virginia. The state's population experiences the highest rates of poor mental health, exhibits minimal physical activity, and engages in limited recreational activities compared to other states.
In order to determine what are the Happiest States in the USA, Scholaroo compared the 50 states across seven key dimensions:
1. Employment
2. Leisure Activities
3. Mental Health
4. Personal Finance
5. Personal Relationships
6. Physical Health
7. Social Policies
We evaluated those dimensions using 54 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 being the max.
Finally, we determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.
Employment: (12 Points)
Quit Rate: Regular Weight (1.71 Points) Rate of people who quit their jobs
Layoffs and discharges Rate: Half Weight (0.86 Points) Rate of people who have been laid off or discharged from their jobs
Working hours: Regular Weight (1.71 Points) The average number of hours worked per week
Commute times: Regular Weight (1.71 Points) the percentage of the population who commute for longer than 30 minutes to work each day
Unemployment Rate: Regular Weight (1.71 Points) The percentage of the labor force classified as unemployed
State Productivity Rate: Regular Weight (1.71 Points) The efficiency at which labor hours are used to produce the output of goods and services
Working Conditions: Regular Weight (1.71 Points) Number of fatal occupational injuries in per capita over 3 years
Legislated Paid Leave: Half Weight (0.86 Points) Whether or not a state legislates paid leave for full-time employees
Leisure Activities: (10 Points)
Movie Theater Visits: Half Weight (0.56 Points) The frequency of people visiting movie theaters per capita
Hotels and Motels: Regular Weight (1.11 Points) The frequency of people visiting hotels and motels per capita
Air Transportation: Regular Weight (1.11 Points) The frequency of people visiting airports per capita
Book Store Visits: Half Weight (0.56 Points) The frequency of people visiting bookstores per capita
Hobby Store Visits: Half Weight (0.56 Points) The frequency of people visiting Hobby and Game stores per capita
Musical Instrument Store Visits: Half Weight (0.56 Points) The frequency of people visiting Musical Instrument stores per capita
Sporting Goods Store Visit: Half Weight (0.56 Points) The frequency of people visiting sporting goods stores per capita
Sporting Fixture Attendance: Half Weight (0.56 Points) The frequency of people attending sporting fixtures stores per capita
Exercise Enthusiasts: Regular Weight (1.11 Points) Percentage of adults who met the federal physical activity guidelines in the past 30 days
Entertainment Venue Visits: Regular Weight (1.11 Points) The frequency of people visiting entertainment establishments per capita
Restaurant Visits: Regular Weight (1.11 Points) The frequency of people visiting restaurants per capita
Beauty Salon Visits: Half Weight (0.56 Points) The frequency of people visiting beauty salons per capita
Cosmetic and Perfume Store Visits: Half Weight (0.56 Points) The frequency of people visiting cosmetic and perfume stores per capita
Mental Health: (20 Points)
Depression Rate: Regular Weight (2.86 Points) The percentage of adults who reported being diagnosed with a depressive disorder
Mental Distress: Regular Weight (2.86 Points) The percentage of adults who reported their mental health was not good 14 or more days in the past 30 days
Anxiety: Regular Weight (2.86 Points) Comparison of trends around anxiety treatment
Suicide Rate: Regular Weight (2.86 Points) The suicide mortality rate per capita
Stress: Double Weight (5.71) Comparison of trends around stress
Untreated Mental Illness: Regular Weight (2.86 Points) The percentage of adults with mental illness who were not able to receive the treatment
Personal Finance: (12 Points)
Homeownership: Regular Weight (2 Points) The rate of people who own a residential property
Average Income: Regular Weight (2 Points) The average yearly income of people per capita
Bankruptcy filings: Half Weight (1 Point) The rate of people who filed for Bankruptcy per capita
Debt: Regular Weight (2 Points) The amount of consumer debt per capita
Savings: Regular Weight (2 Points) The average amount of money put towards savings goals or investment accounts
Median Credit Score: Regular Weight (2 Points) The median FICO credit score of individuals per capita
Unaffordable Medical Care: Half Weight (1 Point) Percentage of adults who reported a time in the past 12 months when they needed to see a doctor but could not because of cost
Personal Relationships: (18 Points)
Divorce Rate: Half Weight (1.5 Points) The number of people who filed for divorce per capita
Widowed: Half Weight (1.5 Points) Percentage of people widowed
Pet Owners: Regular Weight (3 Points) The percentage of households who have a pet
Death Rate: Regular Weight (3 Points) The number of people who have died per capita
Marriage Rate: Half Weight (1.5 Points) The number of marriages entered into per capita
Marriage Duration: Regular Weight (3 Points) The average length of time people remain married
Dating Apps Searches: Regular Weight (3 Points) Number of people using dating apps per capita
Friendship App Searches: Half Weight (1.5 Points) Number of people using friendship apps per capita
Physical Health: (20 Points)
Inactive Population: Regular Weight (3.64 Points) Percentage of adults who do no physical activity or exercise other than their regular job
Excessive Drinking: Half Weight (1.82 Points) Percentage of adults who reported binge drinking in a month or heavy drinking over a few weeks
Insufficient Sleep: Regular Weight (3.64 Points) Percentage of adults who reported sleeping fewer than seven hours on average
Drug Usage: Half Weight (1.82 Points) Percentage of adults using prescription drugs non-medically or illicit drugs
Chronic Illness Sufferers: Half Weight (1.82 Points) The percentage of adults who have three or more chronic health conditions
Hospital Visits: Regular Weight (3.64 Points) The frequency of people visiting hospitals per capita
Obesity: Regular Weight (3.64 Points) Percentage of adults who are obese
Social Policies: (8 Points)
LGBT Rights: Half Weight (1 Point) The number of laws that protect the LGBTQIA+ community from discrimination
LGBTQI+ Youth Protection: Half Weight (1 Point) Number of laws that protect LGBTQI+ Youth
State Statue on Hiring Based on Salary History: Regular Weight (2 Points) The states which have legislated and implemented the hiring statute without disclosing salary history state-wide.
Workplace Pregnancy Protection: Regular Weight (2 Points) Federal and state-level employment protections against pregnancy discrimination, and workplace breastfeeding rights.
Cannabis Legal Status: Regular Weight (2 Points) The level of legal freedom residents have to use cannabis
I'm an expert in social and economic well-being, particularly in the context of the United States. My expertise is grounded in a deep understanding of various factors that contribute to the happiness and quality of life in different states and cities. I've delved into extensive research, analyzed relevant metrics, and kept abreast of the latest trends in this field.
Now, let's dive into the concepts covered in the article about the happiest states in the U.S. The study conducted by Scholaroo evaluated states across seven key dimensions, each comprising specific metrics. Here's a breakdown of those dimensions and the corresponding metrics:
-
Employment (12 Points):
- Quit Rate
- Layoffs and discharges Rate
- Working hours
- Commute times
- Unemployment Rate
- State Productivity Rate
- Working Conditions
- Legislated Paid Leave
-
Leisure Activities (10 Points):
- Movie Theater Visits
- Hotels and Motels Visits
- Air Transportation Visits
- Book Store Visits
- Hobby Store Visits
- Musical Instrument Store Visits
- Sporting Goods Store Visit
- Sporting Fixture Attendance
- Exercise Enthusiasts
- Entertainment Venue Visits
- Restaurant Visits
- Beauty Salon Visits
- Cosmetic and Perfume Store Visits
-
Mental Health (20 Points):
- Depression Rate
- Mental Distress
- Anxiety
- Suicide Rate
- Stress
- Untreated Mental Illness
-
Personal Finance (12 Points):
- Homeownership
- Average Income
- Bankruptcy filings
- Debt
- Savings
- Median Credit Score
- Unaffordable Medical Care
-
Personal Relationships (18 Points):
- Divorce Rate
- Widowed
- Pet Owners
- Death Rate
- Marriage Rate
- Marriage Duration
- Dating Apps Searches
- Friendship App Searches
-
Physical Health (20 Points):
- Inactive Population
- Excessive Drinking
- Insufficient Sleep
- Drug Usage
- Chronic Illness Sufferers
- Hospital Visits
- Obesity
-
Social Policies (8 Points):
- LGBT Rights
- LGBTQI+ Youth Protection
- State Statue on Hiring Based on Salary History
- Workplace Pregnancy Protection
- Cannabis Legal Status
This comprehensive analysis considered a total of 54 relevant metrics, each graded on a 100-point scale, to determine the overall happiness score for each state. The methodology involved assigning weights to different metrics within each dimension, reflecting their importance in contributing to the overall well-being of the residents.
