Analysis indicates that Utah is the happiest state in the country

After 26 key metrics across three key categories were analyzed it has been determined that Utah is the happiest state in the country. Personal finance social network WalletHub conducted the analysis by reviewing U.S. census data, Centers for Disease Control statistics, Kaser Family Foundation studies and other studies.

<p style=”margin-bottom: 0in;”>”We looked at Emotional and Physical Well Being, Work, and Community, Environment and Recreational Activities. Really it is extensive,” says Jill Gonzalez, spokesperson for WalletHub. “We looked at everything from life expectancy, sports participation, job security and even weather rankings.”

<p style=”margin-bottom: 0in;”>Utah ranked first in divorce rate, work hours and income level.

<p style=”margin-bottom: 0in;”>”One thing that we did realize is we saw life satisfaction increases as income rises, but only up to $75,000 and then the happiness level kind of tapers off,” Gonzalez explains. “Utah had the highest income level as any state, around $65,000 on average. But they also have great health statistics. Because they combined both, that is why they are number one.”

<p style=”margin-bottom: 0in;”>Utah also scored high in Satisfaction Index, third overall.

<p style=”margin-bottom: 0in;”>”That is a CDC number,” says Gonzalez. “It’s a percentage of respondents who say they are overall very satisfied with their life. Over 50% of people in Utah responded very favorably to that question.”

<p style=”margin-bottom: 0in;”>Utah was fourth in Physical Health Index and <a href=”http://www.hedonometer.org/about.html” target=”_blank”>Hedonometer</a> Score, a measure of how people express their feelings on social media.

<p style=”margin-bottom: 0in;”>But not all the numbers were positive for Utah. It’s lowest score stands in stark contrast to its ranking of being the happiest state in the union, and that is the state’s rate of depression.

<p style=”margin-bottom: 0in;”>”Actually that is where Utah did the worst. They have about a 21% prevalence of depression. That is worse than many other states.”

<p style=”margin-bottom: 0in;”>”The only other one, really, would be the suicide rate,” Gonzalez continues. “Utah came in the middle for that. Almost every other statistic they were either number one or in the top 10.”

<p style=”margin-bottom: 0in;”>Some of Utah’s neighbors also scored well in the analysis. Colorado was ranked fourth, Wyoming was sixth and Idaho finished 10th overall.

<p style=”margin-bottom: 0in;”>“Idaho just made the top 10. They came in 10. They actually came in seventh for Community, Environment and Recreational Activities rank. Still very happy.”

<p style=”margin-bottom: 0in;”>The states that found themselves at the bottom of the list, which would mean they are the least happy states, are all from the south.

<p style=”margin-bottom: 0in;”>Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and West Virginia finished as the bottom five. The WalletHub analysis found that the healthier the state the happier the state, as a general rule. Those states had poor health indexes across the board.

<p style=”margin-bottom: 0in;”>To see the entire WalletHub report on the country’s most and least happy states, <a href=”http://wallethub.com/edu/most-least-happy-states-in-america/6959/” target=”_blank”>click here</a>.

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