California ranked in the top 10 “happiest” states in the U.S., according to a new report from WalletHub.
The personal finance website compared the 50 states across 30 factors used to evaluate one’s happiness, which incuded, depression rate, the share of adults feeling productive, income growth and unemployment rate.
The 30 metrics were compiled into three different categories, which included:
- Emotional and Physical Well-being
- Work Environment
- Community and Environment
The metrics were graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the “happiest” state in the country.
The Golden State ranked 7th on the list and had an overall score of 60.53.
These are the top ten “happiest” states in the U.S.
- Utah
- Hawaii
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- New Jersey
- Connecticut
- California
- Florida
- Idaho
- Nebraska
The full study can be viewed here.
Researchers found that the least “happiest” state nationwide was West Virginia, which was at the bottom of the list.
While “happiness” is subjective, experts who spoke to WalletHub noted that money, negative emotions, stressors, and environmental factors can impact someone’s view of happiness in their life.
However, no matter where one lives, connecting to a healthy community, stress relievers like outdoor activities and the practice of promoting positive emotions can drastically improve someone’s view of happiness, experts say.
