A change of scenery alone isn’t enough to make life’s problems melt away, but your environment—and the people, perspectives, and opportunities it offers—is among the myriad external factors that shape your overall happiness. To that end, personal finance company WalletHub just announced its annual Happiest States in America rankings. Released Monday, the list assessed the 50 states, excluding the District of Columbia, across 30 metrics encompassing social, physical, economic, and emotional health.
“In addition to pursuing your passions, having a good work-life balance , and maintaining an emotional support network , another key way to boost your happiness is living in the right place ,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in a news release about the rankings. “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.” Along with receiving an overall score, each state was ranked in these categories: physical and emotional well-being, whose metrics included adult depression and life expectancy; work environment, whose metrics included commute time and financial anxiety; and community and environment, whose metrics included safety and volunteer rates.
After being the runner-up last year, Hawaii topped the overall rankings as 2024’s happiest state, with a score of 68.71. The Aloha State also .