Tennessee is one of the unhappiest states in the United States.
According to a recent WalletHubstudy, the Volunteer State ranked among the nation's 10 least happy states, earning a spot near the bottom of the list for overall well-being.
WalletHub cited the cost-of-living crisis and ongoing economic uncertainty as factors contributing to lower life satisfaction. A 2025 Gallup pollfound that 44% of Americans said they were "very satisfied" with their lives.
"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 health care to adequate amounts of leisure time and good weather," wrote WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.
"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."
To identify where residents enjoy the strongest levels of economic, emotional, physical, and social well-being, WalletHub compared all 50 states across 30 metrics, including depression rates, the share of adults who feel productive, income growth and unemployment.
Here's what to know in Tennessee.
WalletHub ranks Tennessee among the least happy in the country
Tennessee ranked No. 41 out of 50 states for overall happiness, with a total score of 43.63 out of 100.
Neighboring states Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia ranked among the happiest in the country, while Mississippi and Missouri landed below average. Kentucky, Alabama and Arkansas also ranked among the least happy states.
In another recent WalletHub study, Tennessee ranked among the 10 worst states to live in, continuinga string of poor performances in national quality-of-life rankings. In July, CNBC named Tennessee the worst state to live in for 2026in its annual America's Top States for Business study.
Other national rankings, including U.S. News & World Report's Best States analysis, have also given Tennessee low marks in areas such as health care and public safety.
Factors contributing to Tennessee's low rankings included concerns about affordability, crime and public safety, and the state's LGBTQ+ inclusivity policies.
Happiest states in the U.S.
- Hawaii
- New Jersey
- Utah
- Idaho
- Maryland
- Nebraska
- Connecticut
- Minnesota
- California
- New Hampshire
Least happy states in the U.S.
- Tennessee
- Oregon
- Wyoming
- New Mexico
- Alabama
- Kentucky
- Alaska
- Arkansas
- Louisiana
- West Virginia
Methodology
In order to determine the happiest states in the U.S., WalletHub compared all 50 states across three categories: emotional and physical well-being, work environment, and community and environment.
The analysis used 30 metrics, each scored on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the highest level of happiness. States were then assigned an overall score based on their weighted average across all metrics and ranked accordingly.
The data used to create the ranking was collected as of Aug. 11, 2026 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Feeding America, Gallup, TransUnion, Minnesota Population Center - University of Minnesota, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, County Health Rankings, the Sharecare Community Well-Being Index, Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health, FINRA Investor Education Foundation, PlushCare, AmeriCorps and WalletHub research.
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee ranked among 10 least happy states in new WalletHub study
