Happiest states in America 2026: Hawaii tops rankings as West Virginia comes last
Hawaii leads the latest ranking of America's happiest states, followed by New Jersey and Utah, according to a September 2026 study by personal finance company WalletHub.
Key points
- Hawaii ranks as America's happiest state in 2026.
- New Jersey and Utah complete the top three.
- West Virginia, Louisiana and Arkansas rank lowest.
Hawaii leads the latest ranking of America's happiest states, followed by New Jersey and Utah, according to a September 2026 study by personal finance company WalletHub.
Hawaii scored 69.53 out of 100, supported by high life satisfaction, relatively low depression rates and strong health outcomes. New Jersey followed with 67.09 points, while Utah ranked third with 66.45.
Idaho and Maryland completed the top five, followed by Nebraska, Connecticut, Minnesota, California and New Hampshire.
At the other end of the ranking, West Virginia finished last with 31.88 points. Louisiana ranked 49th, followed by Arkansas, Alaska and Kentucky.
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The results highlight differences in well-being across the country, with several northeastern and western states performing strongly while parts of the South recorded lower scores.
WalletHub compared states using 30 indicators covering emotional and physical well-being, work environment, and community conditions. These included depression rates, life expectancy, employment and leisure time.
Utah performed particularly well in working conditions and community life, ranking first in both categories. New Jersey led in emotional and physical well-being.
The findings suggest that happiness is shaped by more than income or location, with health, job satisfaction and social connections playing important roles.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
