Virginia Among The Happiest States In The U.S., Ranking Says

VIRGINIA — Virginia residents are happier than those living in most other U.S. states, according to a new ranking that looked at where in the United States Americans have the best economic, emotional, physical and social health.

To determine the happiest states, researchers at WalletHub examined each across 30 key metrics, ranging from the depression rate to income growth to the unemployment rate. Each metric was then graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing maximum happiness.

"The happiest states are those that provide above-average quality of life in a wide variety of areas, from strong state economies and high quality physical and mental health care to adequate amounts of leisure time and good weather," said Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst.

Maryland earned the No. 16 spot on the list with an overall score of 64.67.

According to the ranking, Virginia came in 14th for emotional and physical well-being, 15th for work environment and 32nd for community and environment.

Here are the top 10 happiest states, according to the ranking:

1. Hawaii
2. Maryland
3. New Jersey
4. Utah
5. Delaware
6. Minnesota
7. Connecticut
8. Idaho
9. Nebraska
10. Massachusetts

Louisiana is the least happiest state, according to the ranking, followed by Arkansas, West Virginia, Tennessee and New Mexico.

See the full ranking online.