New Jersey Among The Happiest States In The U.S., Ranking Says

NEW JERSEY — New Jersey is the third-happiest state in the country, according to a ranking that looked at where in the United States Americans have the best economic, emotional, physical and social health.

To determine the happiest states, researchers at WalletHub examined each across 30 key metrics, ranging from the depression rate to income growth to the unemployment rate. Each metric was then graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing maximum happiness.

"The happiest states are those that provide above-average quality of life in a wide variety of areas, from strong state economies and high quality physical and mental health care to adequate amounts of leisure time and good weather," said Chip Lipo, a WalletHub analyst.

New Jersey earned the No. 3 spot on the list with an overall score of 62.46. Only Hawaii and Maryland scored higher.

According to the ranking, New Jerseyans are most happy in part because the state has the third-highest share of households earning over $75,000 per year. It also has the sixth-lowest food insecurity rate. New Jersey also has the ninth-lowest share of people who get anxious when thinking about their personal finances.

Residents of New Jersey also demonstrate their happiness in their marriages. The Garden State has the third-lowest separation and divorce rate in the country, at around 17 percent.

Here are the top 10 happiest states, according to the ranking:

1. Hawaii
2. Maryland
3. New Jersey
4. Utah
5. Delaware
6. Minnesota
7. Connecticut
8. Idaho
9. Nebraska
10. Massachusetts

Louisiana is the least happiest state, according to the ranking, followed by Arkansas, West Virginia, Tennessee and New Mexico.

See the full ranking online.