"Are you happy?" is inherently a loaded question, and the answer largely varies depending on a person's values.
Even still, WalletHub tried to capture what it means to be happy in a recent report ranking the nation's happiest states, and Californians are in luck: The Golden State cracked the top 10.
“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," Chip Lupo, an analyst with WalletHub, said in a news release.
Lupo said that while money alone doesn't guarantee happiness, having enough to live comfortably remains essential.
"But anything beyond that won’t necessarily enhance
happiness as much as having fulfilling hobbies, relationships and opportunities for personal growth," Lupo said.
Here's what to know about WalletHub's report, including what it found for California and the rest of the nation.
What WalletHub's report found for California
With an overall score of 60.58 out of 100, California ranked as the 9th happiest state in the nation, according to WalletHub's report.
The Golden State ranked 4th for the percentage of depressed adults, meaning it had a lower share of depressed adults than most other states. The state ranked 5th for hours worked and 9th for the separation and divorce rate.
The state ranked lower for income growth (No. 16), share of adults feeling active and productive (No. 18), and adequate-sleep rate (No. 20).
The happiest states in the nation, according to report
Here are the 10 happiest states in the nation, along with their overall scores, according to WalletHub.
- No. 1: Hawaii (69.53)
- No. 2: New Jersey (67.09)
- No. 3: Utah (66.45)
- No. 4: Idaho (62.59)
- No. 5: Maryland (62.01)
- No. 6: Nebraska (61.81)
- No. 7: Connecticut (61.38)
- No. 8: Minnesota (60.91)
- No. 9: California (60.58)
- No. 10: New Hampshire (59.89)
The least happy states in the nation, report says
Here are the 10 least happy states in the nation, along with their overall scores, according to WalletHub.
- No. 50: West Virginia (31.88)
- No. 49: Louisiana (34.49)
- No. 48: Arkansas (38.44)
- No. 47: Alaska (38.65)
- No. 46: Kentucky (38.84)
- No. 45: Alabama (42.80)
- No. 44: New Mexico (43.10)
- No. 43: Wyoming (43.26)
- No. 42: Oregon (43.52)
- No. 41: Tennessee (43.63)
Report's methodology
To determine the nation's happiest states, WalletHub said it compared the 50 states across three dimensions: emotional and physical well-being, work environment, and community and environment. It evaluated those dimensions using 30 metrics.
For emotional and physical well-being, the report looked at a number of factors, including career well-being, physical health index, adverse childhood experiences, share of adult depression, life expectancy, and suicide rate. WalletHub's work environment analysis included the number of work hours, commute time, the share of adults with financial anxiety, the current unemployment rate, and the income growth rate. To assess community and environment, the report considered factors such as volunteer rate, ideal weather, average leisure time spent per day, separation and divorce rate, and safety.
Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing maximum happiness. From there, the company took each state's weighted average across all the metrics to derive an overall score used to rank the states.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California ranks among America's 10 happiest states, report finds
