Is New Jersey One of the Happiest States in the USA?

An annual study has found that New Jersey is one of the most happiest states in the U.S. in 2022, according to Wallethub.com.

The Garden State ranked 5th in the nation, with the top five lowest cases of adult depression. New Jersey trailed Utah, Minnesota, Maryland and-landing in the top spot–Hawaii.

All 50 states were ranked based on 30 different metrics, including stuff like:  Emotional and physical health, career satisfaction, unemployment, life expectancy, depression, sleep and weather.

The 10 happiest states in the U.S. also include Idaho, California, Illinois, Nebraska and Connecticut.

The 10 least happy are:  West Virginia, Louisiana . . . Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi , Oklahoma, Tennessee, New Mexico and Missouri.

Ranking in the middle at number 25: Wyoming.

Happiest States in the U.S.

Overall Rank*	State	Total Score	Emotional & Physical Well-Being	Work Environment	Community & Environment
1	Hawaii	66.31	1	17	7
2	Maryland	62.60	5	24	4
3	Minnesota	62.43	10	2	9
4	Utah	62.41	29	1	1
5	New Jersey	61.71	2	28	19
6	Idaho	61.60	25	3	2
7	California	59.97	12	14	5
8	Illinois	58.59	3	33	34
9	Nebraska	58.19	13	7	22
10	Connecticut	58.15	7	21	28
11	Virginia	57.84	9	20	27
12	South Dakota	57.60	15	10	15
13	North Dakota	57.37	19	9	10
14	Massachusetts	57.12	6	15	41
15	New Hampshire	56.46	18	13	20
16	Iowa	55.57	21	6	29
17	Delaware	55.16	11	41	18
18	Florida	55.08	4	30	48
19	Georgia	54.78	16	32	14
20	North Carolina	53.65	14	25	40
21	Wisconsin	53.61	20	16	37
22	Washington	53.53	33	5	8
23	New York	53.36	8	42	45
24	Maine	52.67	22	19	35
25	Wyoming	52.40	36	31	3
26	Oregon	52.11	30	12	23
27	Pennsylvania	51.87	26	34	21
28	Rhode Island	51.55	23	18	43
29	Montana	51.34	41	4	13
30	Colorado	50.70	27	8	47
31	Arizona	50.22	28	29	33
32	Kansas	49.90	31	23	26
33	South Carolina	49.62	32	38	11
34	Vermont	48.46	34	11	44
35	Nevada	48.16	35	43	6
36	Texas	47.74	17	39	50
37	Indiana	47.41	37	22	30
38	Ohio	46.81	39	36	16
39	Michigan	46.51	38	35	24
40	Alaska	46.27	24	37	49
41	Missouri	45.38	40	27	35
42	New Mexico	43.64	42	47	17
43	Tennessee	43.35	44	26	42
44	Oklahoma	40.69	46	44	12
45	Mississippi	39.58	43	50	38
46	Alabama	39.32	45	40	46
47	Kentucky	38.36	49	45	25
48	Arkansas	38.23	47	46	31
49	Louisiana	34.81	48	49	39
50	West Virginia	33.83	50	48	32

Note: *No. 1 = Happiest
With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.