Have you ever thought if the place where you live has something to do with happiness? Well, the reality is yes, and now a report from WalletHub has made a ranking of which are the happiest states in the country (only this 2025). And social media has lit up, of course.
What is that ranking of happiness?
Every year, WalletHub makes a ranking with the states where there are more happy citizens. And yes, it makes sense that they do it, this way they can measure the real quality of life of citizens in different parts of the country. They analyze data on health, economy, social well-being… And they obtain how public policies and lifestyle directly impact their lives.
The study measures everything from physical and mental health to money in the pocket, the work environment or the quality of personal relationships. And the curious thing is to see how the map of the country reflects that happiness also has a lot to do with where you live and how you do it.
Hawaii, the leader
Let’s pretend we are surprised, the tropical climate, the lifestyle and a health system with very good indicators make Hawaii once again on the podium. 85% of adults say they enjoy good health, and that, in the end, translates into satisfaction with daily life, imagine if you also wake up in Hawaii every day… Who wouldn’t want that!
Maryland, where the economy adds points
In second place is Maryland. Here, the secret is less about the climate and more about economic stability. It is one of the states with the highest percentage of households that exceed $75,000 a year, and unemployment is very low here. So the result of the combination of high incomes and a stable environment makes many feel safe in their city! And security is peace, and peace, happiness.
Nebraska, the surprise of the year
The case of Nebraska deserves special mention. Last year it was in ninth position, and now it sneaks into third place in the ranking. How did it do it? Aha, its citizens enjoy more free time than in any other state, despite the fact that working hours are very long. They have one of the lowest divorce rates in the country and a high rate of family stability! In addition, it is quite a safe place, and the mental health indicators have done the rest.
What happiness really measures
Three big areas: physical and emotional well-being, work environment and community belonging. Within them are included up to 30 different sub indicators: depression rates, average income, access to health, work motivation, social relationships…
No, even if they have sold it to us for a long time, happiness does not depend only on money, free time counts, relationships with your family, the time you have and, above all, the lack of problems.
Health and relationships
The states that come out best in the report share the same pattern, they have healthier citizens, fewer depression problems and strong personal networks. Hawaii stands out in health, Maryland in motivation and stability, and Nebraska in free time and family cohesion.
With this index we could even make the formula of happiness: balance between body, mind, money and environment.
The states that close the list
Not all can boast of being at the top. At the other end appears West Virginia, the state considered least happy in 2025. It is followed by Louisiana and Arkansas. And the equation is completely inverse to what we talked about before: lower incomes, worse health data and higher levels of unemployment. Factors that, inevitably, weigh on the quality of life of its inhabitants.
There is no perfect state, but no one can deny that you would be much happier watching the sunrise from the sea, right?