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The 20 Happiest States in the U.S.

A recent study by WalletHub reveals which states are the closest to utopia.
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There’s an ongoing debate about which U.S. city is friendliest: Savannah? Charleston? The saga continues. But what about the happiest states in America? The experts over at personal finance website WalletHub analyzed the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 28 key metrics of happiness, including emotional health, income level, social connectivity, and sports participation rates. Here’s what they found in terms of overall rank:

1. Utah
2. Minnesota
3. North Dakota
4. Hawaii
5. Colorado
6. Idaho
7. Iowa
8. Nebraska
9. South Dakota
10. California
11. New Hampshire
12. Washington
13. Wyoming
14. Vermont
15. Wisconsin
16. Massachusetts
17. Connecticut
18. District of Columbia
19. Delaware
20. New Jersey

Many won't be surprised to find that the Beehive State topped the list given its bounty of outdoor activities, beautiful scenery, national parks, and sense of tight-knit community. But it was actually a variety of other factors that helped Utah come in at number one this time—and no, none of it had to do with income.

Instead, chalk it up to a rather unique combo: the lowest incidence of heart attacks, highest volunteerism rate, lowest divorce rate, and lowest number of work hours come together to spell bliss. “Money is not a central factor in understanding happiness,” Manfred H.M. van Dulmen, Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Kent State University said as part of the study. “High quality and close social relationships seem to play a major and key role in understanding why some people are happy while others are not.”

But does money really not buy happiness? Well, according to research, life satisfaction does increase as income rises, but only to a maximum of $75,000 a year. From that point on it has more to do with one’s physical health and personal purpose, among other factors. All the more reason for those annual Tuscan retreats with wine, pasta, and yoga, right?