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VA Ranked Among America's Happiest States

To determine where Americans have the best combination of economic, emotional, physical and social health, WalletHub looked at 30 metrics.

Virginia was recently ranked among America's happiest states in an analysis by WalletHub.

To determine where Americans have the best combination of economic, emotional, physical and social health, the personal finance website looked at 30 metrics, including the depression rate, share of adults feeling productive and unemployment rate.

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"The happiest states are those that provide above-average quality of life in a wide variety of areas, from strong state economies and great physical and mental healthcare to adequate amounts of leisure time and good weather," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the website's explanation of the ranking.

"It's also important to note that while the adage that money can't buy happiness has a lot of truth to it, having enough money to live comfortably is still essential. But anything beyond that won't necessarily enhance happiness as much as having fulfilling hobbies, relationships and opportunities for personal growth."

Virginia came in at No. 16 in the ranking, between South Carolina at No. 15 and Arizona at No. 17.

The happiest states nationwide were Hawaii at No. 1, New Jersey at No. 2 and Utah at No. 3, according to the ranking.

Read more from WalletHub.

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