Photo: Photos: Getty Images; Edited by Anna Gallegos
Are Kentuckians unhappy? One study thinks so.
Financial website WalletHub recently looked at what makes people happy and the environmental factors that influence people's happiness. Previous research have found that good economic, emotional, physical and social health are all key to a well-balanced and fulfilled life.
It determined the happiest (and unhappiest) states in the U.S. based on 31 metrics, including depression rates, unemployment, community engagement, and physical health.
WalletHub ranked Kentucky #45 in happiness. The Bluegrass State did poorly because it has a high share of adults with depression, a low sports participation rate, and Kentuckians tend to get less adequate sleep than residents of other states.
Only give other states are considered more unhappy than Kentucky: Oklahoma (#46), Mississippi (#47), Louisiana (#48), Arkansas (#49), and West Virginia (#50).
Meanwhile, the most happy states are:
- Utah
- Minnesota
- Hawaii
- California
- North Dakota
So what makes a happy state? In the case of Utah, people there are happy because the work the fewest hours, have the highest sports participation rate, the highest volunteer rate and the lowest divorce rate.
See the full study and other states here.