Community Chat

[Spurt]

Okay we had the ranking of States by US News & World Report....  Here's the States ranked by HAPPIEST PLACE TO LIVE..... And it's a different State that's #1....

According to a new study by WalletHub researchers hoped to prove that moving to a certain city would help someone become more content in their own lives. The survey utilized “various findings of positive-psychology research in order to determine which among more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities is home to the happiest people in America.” Each city represented in the study was examined based on 31 key indicators of happiness, ranging from the depression rate, income-growth rate to average leisure time spent per day.

Happiest States in the U.S.

Overall Rank
(1 = Happiest)  State Total Score

Emotional & Physical Well-Being’ Rank,  ‘Work Environment’ Rank,  ‘Community & Environment’ Rank 

1	Hawaii	69.58	2	16	3
2	Utah	69.42	14	1	1
3	Minnesota	65.87	4	4	10
4	New Jersey	64.10	1	30	22
5	Maryland	61.78	3	33	9
6	California	61.14	7	18	13
7	North Dakota	60.02	18	3	7
8	Iowa	59.65	15	6	11
9	Idaho	59.58	34	2	2
10	Connecticut	59.23	5	38	17
11	Nebraska	59.06	9	8	36
12	South Dakota	58.53	22	10	4
13	Massachusetts	57.30	8	12	43
14	Virginia	56.27	11	21	33
15	Washington	55.60	27	7	18
16	Vermont	55.59	20	24	6
17	New York	54.86	6	44	45
18	Wisconsin	54.32	23	17	19
19	Nevada	53.67	29	25	5
20	Arizona	53.47	19	20	32
21	New Hampshire	53.36	24	11	38
22	Georgia	52.73	21	36	24
23	Colorado	52.57	17	9	47
24	Delaware	52.25	16	43	35
25	Texas	51.04	10	31	50
26	Rhode Island	50.96	25	28	34
27	Florida	50.58	12	39	49
28	Pennsylvania	50.16	26	40	30
29	Illinois	50.14	13	45	46
30	Maine	50.12	35	14	20
31	Wyoming	49.26	30	23	39
32	North Carolina	49.19	28	27	42
33	Kansas	49.16	31	19	40
34	South Carolina	48.78	36	26	21
35	Ohio	48.37	32	41	25
36	Indiana	47.96	33	29	31
37	Michigan	47.27	38	35	23
38	Montana	47.25	40	5	41
39	New Mexico	47.03	39	46	8
40	Missouri	45.79	41	22	12
41	Oregon	43.67	43	13	29
42	Alaska	40.85	37	47	48
43	Alabama	40.28	46	34	16
44	Mississippi	39.52	44	48	14
45	Tennessee	39.21	45	15	44
46	Kentucky	38.29	47	32	26
47	Louisiana	38.15	42	50	28
48	Oklahoma	37.66	48	37	27
49	Arkansas	36.83	49	42	15
50	West Virginia	30.58	50	49	37

[deepwaterdotter]

What's up with so many southern states at the lower end of the rankings?  Many of the posters here who live in these states sound to be happy with where they live.

My state, Wisconsin, is about in the middle at number 18.  That seems about right, but the weather can be unpredictable a lot of the time.  Maybe the cheese and beer keeps us happy?

[Sooner]

Well duh!  Rocket scientists must have figured out this system.  People are probably happier where they are wealthier.  You think?

Volunteers?  In Oklahoma if you get hit by the tornado, people, lots of average people are following behind the storm with shovels, heavy equipment, pickups and a lot of free labor to help you out.  Or dig you out if need be? How's that?  And we'll fix you up with clothes or whatever you need.

I don't even know how you measure happiness.  And any way, where else in the USA would Blake Shelton come along in his pickup and drag you out of the bar ditch?  

[on the bay]

@Spurt -

Really interesting!

I once lived in one of the supposed most happy cities in the us and I thought it was too regardless of money. But the second city, it depended on money.

I know that is vague and random.

And #50-WVA-I've always thought it has some of the most beautiful land in all of the US. Sad to see so many are unhappy there, probably very poor.

[ROMARY]

I'm only guessing that one has to have a bit of money to live well in Hawaii.

Thinking of where to work, and price of housing. 

Probably much better in Honolulu, work-wise.  

Otherwise, I think that I'd be happy there.   

[Kachina624]

All I can say is, I've lived in a lot of states and the one I'm in now is the only one where I've been truly satisfied.  It has everything I want or need. 

[Jersey Born]

I hate to write this, because I wish that what you posted were true, but I think that the ranking you posted is complete baloney.  No one in NJ is happy right now.  Ditto NY and California.  So very many people are currently and urgently moving out of those states, which is not an indication of happiness, but of the opposite-- despair. 

[proudlyfromNJ]

---

@Jersey Born wrote:

I hate to write this, because I wish that what you posted were true, but I think that the ranking you posted is complete baloney.  No one in NJ is happy right now.  Ditto NY and California.  So very many people are currently and urgently moving out of those states, which is not an indication of happiness, but of the opposite-- despair. 

---

@Jersey Born  Everyone near where I live in NY is happy. I don't know anyone in my town who feels despair. Everything is open and has been for a long time. Bars and private clubs have gatherings every day. Only thing left to open are schools full time which is happening soon. If I ever went around asking people here if they feel despair, they would laugh and I live in an ALL red town.

[suzyQ3]

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@Jersey Born wrote:

I hate to write this, because I wish that what you posted were true, but I think that the ranking you posted is complete baloney.  No one in NJ is happy right now.  Ditto NY and California.  So very many people are currently and urgently moving out of those states, which is not an indication of happiness, but of the opposite-- despair. 

---

I'm sorry, @Jersey Born, but though I don't take much stock in this kind of study, I don't think that you can generalize about any one state.

[Johnnyeager]

I'm in New York.  I'm pretty content.  Difficult to generalize about a state with nearly 20 million people.