These are Unhappiest States in the US

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Do You Know Unhappiest States in the US
Unhappiest States in the US

Happiness is a subjective feeling that depends on many factors, such as personal well-being, work environment, and community. While some people may find happiness in the simplest things, others may struggle to cope with the challenges of life. In this article, we will take a look at the unhappiest states in the US, based on the data from WalletHub’s 2023 Happiness report¹. We will also explore some of the possible reasons behind their low happiness scores and what they can do to improve their situation.

How Happiness is Measured

WalletHub’s 2023 Happiness report¹ ranked the 50 states according to three main dimensions: emotional & physical well-being, work environment, and community & environment. Each dimension was composed of several metrics, such as life expectancy, depression rate, income growth, job satisfaction, safety, and environmental quality. The report used data from various sources, such as the U.S. Census Bureau, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Gallup. For each positive metric, 100 points were awarded to the state with the highest value, and zero points to the state with the lowest value. The overall happiness score for each state was calculated by weighting the three dimensions equally and adding up the points.Unhappiest States in the US

According to the report, the unhappiest states in the US in 2024 are:

  • West Virginia (39.16 points): West Virginia ranked last in the emotional & physical well-being dimension, with the lowest life expectancy, the highest depression rate, the highest obesity rate, and the lowest sports participation rate. It also ranked 49th in the work environment dimension, with the lowest income growth, the lowest job satisfaction, and the highest long-term unemployment rate. West Virginia’s economy has been suffering from the decline of the coal industry, which has led to job losses, poverty, and environmental degradation².
  • Arkansas (39.70 points): Arkansas ranked 49th in the emotional & physical well-being dimension, with the second-lowest life expectancy, the second-highest depression rate, the second-highest obesity rate, and the lowest adequate sleep rate. It also ranked 48th in the community & environment dimension, with the lowest volunteer rate, the lowest voter turnout, and the lowest social support. Arkansas has been facing challenges such as low educational attainment, poor health outcomes, high crime rates, and racial disparities³.
  • Louisiana (40.22 points): Louisiana ranked 48th in the emotional & physical well-being dimension, with the third-lowest life expectancy, the third-highest depression rate, the third-highest obesity rate, and the second-lowest sports participation rate. It also ranked 47th in the community & environment dimension, with the second-lowest volunteer rate, the second-lowest voter turnout, and the second-lowest social support. Louisiana has been struggling with issues such as coastal erosion, natural disasters, poverty, corruption, and violence⁴.
  • Mississippi (41.41 points): Mississippi ranked 47th in the emotional & physical well-being dimension, with the fourth-lowest life expectancy, the fourth-highest depression rate, the highest obesity rate, and the third-lowest sports participation rate. It also ranked 46th in the work environment dimension, with the lowest median household income, the lowest income growth, and the highest underemployment rate. Mississippi has been lagging behind in areas such as education, health care, infrastructure, and social justice⁵.
  • Oklahoma (42.24 points): Oklahoma ranked 46th in the emotional & physical well-being dimension, with the fifth-lowest life expectancy, the fifth-highest depression rate, the fourth-highest obesity rate, and the fourth-lowest sports participation rate. It also ranked 45th in the work environment dimension, with the second-lowest income growth, the second-lowest job satisfaction, and the third-highest long-term unemployment rate. Oklahoma’s economy has been affected by the volatility of the oil and gas industry, which has resulted in budget cuts, teacher shortages, and poor public services.
  • Kentucky (42.86 points): Kentucky ranked 45th in the emotional & physical well-being dimension, with the sixth-lowest life expectancy, the sixth-highest depression rate, the fifth-highest obesity rate, and the fifth-lowest sports participation rate. It also ranked 44th in the community & environment dimension, with the third-lowest volunteer rate, the third-lowest voter turnout, and the third-lowest social support. Kentucky has been dealing with problems such as opioid addiction, tobacco use, cancer, and environmental pollution.
  • Tennessee (43.68 points): Tennessee ranked 44th in the emotional & physical well-being dimension, with the seventh-lowest life expectancy, the seventh-highest depression rate, the sixth-highest obesity rate, and the sixth-lowest sports participation rate. It also ranked 43rd in the community & environment dimension, with the fourth-lowest volunteer rate, the fourth-lowest voter turnout, and the fourth-lowest social support. Tennessee has been facing challenges such as low literacy, poor health care access, high crime rates, and racial inequality.
  • Alabama (44.08 points): Alabama ranked 43rd in the emotional & physical well-being dimension, with the eighth-lowest life expectancy, the eighth-highest depression rate, the seventh-highest obesity rate, and the seventh-lowest sports participation rate. It also ranked 42nd in the work environment dimension, with the second-lowest median household income, the third-lowest income growth, and the fourth-highest underemployment rate. Alabama has been suffering from issues such as low educational attainment, poor health outcomes, high poverty rates, and civil rights violations.
  • Missouri (44.28 points): Missouri ranked 42nd in the emotional & physical well-being dimension, with the ninth-lowest life expectancy, the ninth-highest depression rate, the eighth-highest obesity rate, and the eighth-lowest sports participation rate. It also ranked 41st in the community & environment dimension, with the fifth-lowest volunteer rate, the fifth-lowest voter turnout, and the fifth-lowest social support. Missouri has been coping with difficulties such as low wages, high taxes, poor infrastructure, and social unrest.
  • Alaska (44.72 points): Alaska ranked 41st in the emotional & physical well-being dimension, with the 10th-lowest life expectancy, the 10th-highest depression rate, the ninth-highest obesity rate, and the ninth-lowest sports participation rate. It also ranked 40th in the community & environment dimension, with the sixth-lowest volunteer rate, the sixth-lowest voter turnout, and the sixth-lowest social support. Alaska has been experiencing hardships such as extreme weather, isolation, high cost of living, and limited health care access.
  • New Mexico (45.02 points): New Mexico ranked 40th in the emotional & physical well-being dimension, with the 11th-lowest life expectancy, the 11th-highest depression rate, the 10th-highest obesity rate, and the 10th-lowest sports participation rate. It also ranked 39th in the work environment dimension, with the third-lowest median household income, the fourth-lowest income growth, and the fifth-highest underemployment rate. New Mexico has been confronting problems such as low educational achievement, poor health indicators, high poverty rates, and drug abuse.
  • Indiana (45.32 points): Indiana ranked 39th in the emotional & physical well-being dimension, with the 12th-lowest life expectancy, the 12th-highest depression rate, the 11th-highest obesity rate, and the 11th-lowest sports participation rate. It also ranked 38th in the work environment dimension, with the fourth-lowest income growth, the fifth-lowest job satisfaction, and the sixth-highest long-term unemployment rate. Indiana has been struggling with issues such as low wages, high taxes, poor public health, and environmental degradation.
  • South Carolina (45.62 points): South Carolina ranked 38th in the emotional & physical well-being dimension, with the 13th-lowest life expectancy, the 13th-highest depression rate, the 12th-highest obesity rate, and the 12th-lowest sports participation rate. It also ranked 37th in the community & environment dimension, with the seventh-lowest volunteer rate, the seventh-lowest voter turnout, and the seventh-lowest social support. South Carolina has been facing challenges such as low literacy, poor health care access, high crime rates, and racial inequality.
  • Ohio (45.92 points): Ohio ranked 37th in the emotional & physical well-being dimension, with the 14th-lowest life expectancy, the 14th-highest depression rate, the 13th-highest obesity rate, and the 13th-lowest sports participation rate. It also ranked 36th in the work environment dimension, with the fifth-lowest median household income, the sixth-lowest income growth, and the seventh-highest underemployment rate. Ohio has been dealing with problems such as opioid addiction, manufacturing decline, poor infrastructure, and political polarization.

Source:
15 Unhappiest States in the US – Yahoo Finance. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/15-unhappiest-states-us-224909593.html

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