Which is the happiest state in the U.S.? Florida ranks in top 15 in this study. Here's why

Happiness is subjective. But if you could measure it, apparently Florida would rank high among the “happiest” states in the U.S., according to a recent study from WalletHub.

“With a recent Gallup poll showing only 47% of Americans are ‘very satisfied’ with the way their life is going, the personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on the Happiest States in America in 2024, as well as expert commentary, to identify the places that create the best conditions for life satisfaction,” the study says.

And Florida ranked in the top 15 “happiest” states in the U.S.

Here’s exactly where Florida ranks on WalletHub’s “happiest states” list and why, and how the company determined the rankings.

Which is the happiest state in the US?

To find the rankings for the “happiest” states, WalletHub compared each state across 30 metrics. From the depression rate and the share of adults feeling productive in each state, to each state’s income growth and the unemployment rate, each metric was chosen to determine “where Americans exhibit the best combination of good economic, emotional, physical and social health.”

According to the results of this study, Hawaii ranks as the happiest state in the U.S., with Maryland and New Jersey ranking in second and third place, respectively.

Here’s WalletHub’s list ranking the top 15 happiest states in the U.S.:

1. Hawaii
2. Maryland
3. New Jersey
4. Utah
5. Delaware
6. Minnesota
7. Connecticut
8. Idaho
9. Nebraska
10. Massachusetts
11. South Carolina
12. South Dakota
13. California
14. Florida
15. New Hampshire

Where does Florida rank in happiness? Why?

Florida placed in the top 15, ranking as the 14th-happiest state in the country, between California and New Hampshire.

Florida ranked high mainly due to its high rankings in income growth and the share of adults that feel active and productive.

Here’s a snapshot of how Florida ranked in some of WalletHub’s key metrics for this study:

• Overall Rank: 14th
• 6th – Percentage of depressed adults
• 12th – Suicide rate
• 16th – Percentage of civilian labor force unemployed 15 weeks or longer
• 28th – Number of work hours
• 8th – Income growth
• 14th – Share of adults feeling active and productive

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Which is the happiest state in the U.S.? Florida ranks in top 15 in this study. Here's why