WASHINGTON – With research suggesting that money can contribute to happiness—at least, up to a certain dollar amount—the personal-finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2016’s Happiest States in America. WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 28 key metrics, with data set ranging from emotional health to income level to sports participation rate.
The happiest states in America are:
- Utah
- Minnesota
- North Dakota
- Hawaii
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Iowa
- Nebraska
- South Dakota
- California
Here are several highlights from the survey:
- North Dakota has the lowest long-term unemployment rate, 13.1%, which is 3.8 times lower than in the District of Columbia, where the rate is highest, 49.2%.
- Utah has the lowest rate of heart attacks, 2.7%, which is 2.7 times lower than in West Virginia, where the rate is highest, 7.4%.
- Utah has the highest volunteerism rate, 45.2%, which is 2.5 times higher than in Louisiana, where the rate is lowest, 18.2%.
The states with the lowest obesity rates are the District of Columbia, Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Utah, while the states with the highest obesity rates are Mississippi, Arkansas, West Virginia, Louisiana and North Dakota.
Read the full report to see where your state ranks.