According to a recent WalletHub study that looks at emotional health, work life, and community characteristics in all 50 states, Hawaii will be the happiest state in the U.S. in 2025.
The report, which came out on Monday, September 8, 2025, says that Maryland is second, Nebraska is third, and New Jersey and Connecticut are the last two states in the top five. WalletHub says that the study looks at more than two dozen factors, such as rates of depression and suicide, unemployment, the distribution of household income, physical health, volunteering, free time, and public safety.
The study found that Hawaii has the best self-reported health outcomes and one of the lowest rates of depression in the country. The report says that Maryland does well because it has steady jobs and a bigger percentage of upper-income households. Nebraska does well because it has good financial stability and time for fun.
The five states with the happiest people in 2025 are:
1. Hawaii
2. Maryland
3. Nebraska
4. New Jersey
5. Connecticut
The results show that happiness tends to go up when there is economic stability, public safety, and access to health and recreation. WalletHub said that work conditions, such as job security, transportation, and money worries, are just as important as mental and physical health. The results also take into account community factors including the number of volunteers, free time, and family stability.
Other recent studies of well-being provide us different points of view. According to reports on those specialist studies, states like Minnesota, Vermont, and Utah are near the top for certain groups when it comes to separate reviews that focus on families or older persons. Even though the rankings use various weights, they all point to the same things: steady jobs, safe surroundings, and easy access to health care are all linked to higher life satisfaction.
The 2025 WalletHub ranking shows how legislative choices and local conditions affect daily life, even though no one score can show how every city is doing. The survey says that states with strong job markets, good health outcomes, and high levels of civic engagement likely to be the happiest overall.
List of happiest states in US as per 2025 WalletHub ranking :
Here’s the full table formatted cleanly in HTML for publication: “`htmlHappiest States in the U.S. (2025)
Overall Rank* | State | Total Score | Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank | Work Environment Rank | Community & Environment Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hawaii | 65.50 | 2 | 16 | 13 |
2 | Maryland | 64.13 | 3 | 14 | 10 |
3 | Nebraska | 63.61 | 9 | 7 | 4 |
4 | New Jersey | 63.42 | 1 | 23 | 36 |
5 | Connecticut | 62.53 | 7 | 11 | 8 |
6 | Utah | 61.12 | 26 | 1 | 1 |
7 | California | 60.09 | 4 | 45 | 11 |
8 | New Hampshire | 59.56 | 15 | 10 | 7 |
9 | Massachusetts | 59.19 | 8 | 6 | 31 |
10 | Idaho | 58.31 | 29 | 2 | 2 |
11 | Minnesota | 58.21 | 11 | 12 | 19 |
12 | Delaware | 56.07 | 13 | 24 | 20 |
13 | South Dakota | 55.93 | 30 | 3 | 6 |
14 | Florida | 55.86 | 6 | 21 | 47 |
15 | Virginia | 55.45 | 12 | 17 | 37 |
16 | New York | 55.42 | 5 | 42 | 45 |
17 | Iowa | 55.42 | 21 | 22 | 9 |
18 | Pennsylvania | 54.73 | 14 | 31 | 16 |
19 | Georgia | 53.88 | 17 | 25 | 25 |
20 | Wisconsin | 53.62 | 24 | 13 | 28 |
21 | North Dakota | 53.43 | 20 | 9 | 41 |
22 | Illinois | 53.38 | 10 | 35 | 43 |
23 | Arizona | 52.89 | 16 | 27 | 32 |
24 | Washington | 52.88 | 18 | 36 | 18 |
25 | South Carolina | 52.82 | 25 | 20 | 17 |
26 | Rhode Island | 51.68 | 19 | 15 | 44 |
27 | Kansas | 51.29 | 27 | 19 | 29 |
28 | North Carolina | 50.97 | 22 | 28 | 33 |
29 | Vermont | 49.93 | 31 | 4 | 42 |
30 | Wyoming | 49.47 | 39 | 38 | 5 |
31 | Missouri | 48.31 | 35 | 18 | 26 |
32 | Montana | 47.83 | 45 | 5 | 21 |
33 | Maine | 47.64 | 36 | 8 | 40 |
34 | Indiana | 47.36 | 33 | 34 | 14 |
35 | Michigan | 47.06 | 34 | 43 | 12 |
36 | Oklahoma | 47.05 | 46 | 40 | 3 |
37 | Texas | 46.41 | 23 | 26 | 50 |
38 | Ohio | 45.67 | 38 | 39 | 22 |
39 | Oregon | 44.93 | 36 | 30 | 39 |
40 | Nevada | 44.82 | 40 | 44 | 24 |
41 | Colorado | 44.49 | 28 | 33 | 49 |
42 | Mississippi | 43.90 | 41 | 32 | 38 |
43 | Kentucky | 43.25 | 42 | 47 | 30 |
44 | New Mexico | 43.08 | 44 | 46 | 15 |
45 | Tennessee | 41.22 | 47 | 29 | 35 |
46 | Alaska | 40.69 | 32 | 48 | 48 |
47 | Alabama | 40.69 | 43 | 41 | 46 |
48 | Arkansas | 37.03 | 48 | 37 | 34 |
49 | Louisiana | 34.26 | 49 | 49 | 23 |
50 | West Virginia | 32.04 | 50 | 50 | 27 |
Notes: *No. 1 = Happiest. With the exception of “Total Score,” all columns show relative ranks, where a rank of 1 indicates the best conditions for that category.
A global media for the latest news, entertainment, music fashion, and more.