North Dakota is the Happiest State in the US

North Dakota ranks as the happiest state in the US based on factors such as health, work-life balance and safety, according to a new study 

Vermont is the second happiest state and Nebraska is in third  

Kentucky ranks as least happy state in the US   
  

A new study has revealed North Dakota is the happiest state in the US.  

  

The research by sleep experts Amerisleep analyzed 17 factors that contribute towards happiness, such as health, income, work-life balance and environment, to find the happiest state in America.  

  

North Dakota ranked the happiest out of all 50 states after performing well in a number of different factors, including the highest level of income growth over the past year, the second-best score for open spaces and beauty, and the highest number of national parks per square ft.  

 

In second position is Vermont, performing particularly well in factors related to health. Health factors have the highest weight in the analysis as the OECD’s Better Life Index has found that Americans rate it as the most important contributor to their happiness. 

 

Nebraska places as the third happiest state, and scores the highest in the index for the best work-life balance, which is measured on factors such as commute time, number of health clubs and average working hours. 

  

California placed fourth in the list, and ranks first for environment out of all US states, thanks to the largest amount of green space per square foot. US citizens rank the environment as the fourth most important factor in determining their happiness. 

   

In the bottom three is Kentucky in 50^th place, West Virginia in 49^th, and Tennessee and 48^th.  

  

April Mayer from Amerisleep commented on the findings, “This data paints a fascinating picture of happiness across the US. The study analyzed a large array of factors, from sleep levels and access to healthcare to average commute time and house size. The states at the top of the list offer a great combination of the things that make people happy.” 

 

The key factors that contribute towards happiness 

 

Health ranks as US citizens’ most important contributor towards happiness, according to the OECD Better Life Index, and the study included four separate factors within the category – depression rate, sleep, suicide numbers and number of hospitals per capita. North Dakota ranks the highest while West Virginia ranks the lowest of all 50 states.  

 

Education is the second most important element for happiness, and Vermont comes out on top with the most higher education places per capita. In second place is North Dakota and coming in third is Montana.  

 

Work-Life Balance is also highly valued by Americans, with the study revealing Nebraska as the best place to achieve it. This category factored in health clubs per capita, working hours, volunteer rate, unemployment rate, commute time and divorce rates, with Utah placing second and Montana third. Conversely, Nevada places 50^th on the list for achieving a good balance between career and home life. 

 

Environment is fourth on the list of things that make people happy in America, and California takes the top spot in the category, which assesses the percentage of trees covering state, open spaces and beauty and national parks. Rhode Island comes in second and Oregon third while New York ranks in last place.  

 

Safety is ranked as the fifth most important consideration for happiness in the US. The state that has the highest safety score is Alaska followed by Mississippi, while North Carolina comes in as the least safe.  

 

Housing is the sixth most important contributor to happiness, and sees Hawaii at the bottom of the pile, with the smallest average housing size (sq. ft) out of all the states, while Utah ranks first for housing size.  

 

Income is the seventh and final happiness factor on the list, and North Dakota comes in first again, thanks to its income growth percentage over the last year. New Hampshire has had the lowest income growth out of all US states.  

 

The study was conducted by Amerisleep, an award-winning producer of mattresses, beds, and sleep accessories.  

 
 

The Top 10 Happiest States in the US
Rank	State	Score
1	North Dakota	70.71
2	Vermont	68.30
3	Nebraska	62.38
4	South Dakota	61.15
5	California	60.91
6	Rhode Island	58.09
7	Iowa	57.76
8	Montana	57.19
9	Oregon	56.70
10	Utah	56.64

The 10 Least Happy States in the US
Rank	State	Score
1	Kentucky	45.00
2	West Virginia	45.77
3	Tennessee	46.01
4	Nevada	46.04
5	Ohio	47.32
6	Pennsylvania	47.40
7	Michigan	48.51
8	Illinois	48.61
9	Missouri	49.02

10

Washington

49.17