The 10 Happiest States In America Are Also Some Of the Prettiest

If you’re gonna choose a state to call home , then you might as well make it a happy one.

Credit site WalletHub  recently conducted an analysis on what it takes to make Americans from across the nation feel content in the areas of emotional and physical wellbeing, work environment and community life. For their survey, WalletHub researchers used 28 metrics and a seriously detailed point system to analyze data from four recent reports on happiness, longevity and life in U.S. cities. They then gave each state a score out of 100 that reflects the happiness of its residents as compared to the others. 

Midwestern states performed especially well on the ranking, likely thanks to their friendly communities and abundance of outdoor space .

Of course, this system isn’t the only way to measure happiness , but it’s a pretty thorough one indeed. And to our joy, the top 10 happiest states happen to be some of the most scenic states in America, too. Take a look:

10. California

Happiness score: 59.96

9. South Dakota

Happiness score: 60.08

8. Nebraska

Happiness score: 60.65

7. Iowa

Happiness score: 60.92

6. Idaho

Happiness score: 60.93

5. Colorado

Happiness score: 61.59

4. Hawaii

Happiness score: 66.63

3. North Dakota

Happiness score: 61.59

2. Minnesota

Happiness score: 69.09

1. Utah

Happiness score: 71.02