According to a new study, Hawaii is the happiest state in the U.S. in 2020.
In a year dominated by COVID-19 and other challenges such as major wildfires, it is probably difficult for anyone to be happy or have happy thoughts. Nevertheless, WalletHub has conducted a study that reveals Hawaii as the happiest state in America in 2020. WalletHub has been doing this study since 2014.
"Happiness is a feeling of joy, contentment, and overall positive emotions," Dr. Chieh-Chen Bowen of Cleveland State University’s psychology department said in a WalletHub statement. "Happiness is a universal goal. We all want to be happy and want such feelings to last."
As Rachel Chang reports in the source article, to try to best measure happiness, WalletHub used three dimensions on a 100-point scale, weighting "emotional and physical well-being" with 50 points and "work environment" and "community and environment" with 25 points each.
The study also revealed top rankings in subcategories, with Minnesota coming out on top for the highest adequate sleep, New Jersey with the lowest share of adult depression, North Dakota with the lowest long-term unemployment rate, Utah with the highest volunteer rate, and Maine as the safest. The bottom of the list starts with Missouri in 40th place, followed by Oregon, Alaska, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and West Virginia, which landed in the last spot.
Read the full story: Hawaii Is the Happiest State of 2020, According to New Study
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