“The grass is always greener on the other side” is an oft-used cliché, but it may be a cliché for a reason: New research suggests that relocating might just make you happier.
Personal finance website WalletHub decided to dig deeper into the data to see why some state residents are happier than others, and they found that where you live may even affect your mental health.
A WalletHub study revealed the five states in the U.S. where people are least likely to suffer from depression.
WalletHub’s “The happiest state in AmericaThe study ranks all 50 states in order of overall happiness. To compile the rankings, WalletHub and its team of experts analyzed each state based on three main criteria: mental and physical well-being, workplace environment, and community and environment.
These three categories are made up of 30 different indicators of a state’s overall happiness, ranging from the local economy to weather to sleep statistics, and revealed that Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, Utah and Delaware are the happiest states overall.
But analyzing each state’s depression rates also sheds light on more specific issues, like mental health. While there was some overlap with the happiest states overall, WalletHub’s analysis also yielded some surprising results.
A look at the top five US states with the lowest rates of depression might provide some insight into what elements of place have a positive impact on our mental state.
1. Hawaii
Not surprisingly, living in paradise means there’s little to be depressed about: Hawaii is also the happiest state in the entire United States, and Hawaiians report the highest life satisfaction and lowest depression rates in the United States.
This may be due in part to the fact that 86% of Hawaiians report being physically healthy, a large percentage report living an active lifestyle with lots of leisure time, and the state’s low unemployment rate of just 2.8% makes it fairly stable and worry-free compared to the rest of the country.
2. New Jersey
Jokes aside, who wouldn’t be depressed in a state often referred to as America’s armpit? (That’s not fair. Florida is obviously America’s armpit. Just kidding, Ohio.) But once you get past all those smelly factories near New York City, New Jersey is actually a nice place. And WalletHub has found the data to prove it.
Not only is Jersey the third happiest state overall, it also has a stable economy, high incomes, low rates of traumatic childhood experiences, high marital satisfaction and the third lowest divorce rate in the country.
Put all that together and you have the second least depressing place in America. Who would have known? (Except Bruce Springsteen and the Real Housewives, of course.)
3. Nebraska
Okay, you’re just a troll. Nebraska is nothing but cornfields. How can you not be depressed?! I’ve driven across the entire state of Nebraska twice in my life and both times I felt like I was violating the Geneva Convention. So why does Nebraska have the third lowest depression rate?
Well, that could be down to two main factors: Nebraska ranks fourth on WalletHub’s list of places to sleep the longest, and it has the second-lowest long-term unemployment rate.
Additionally, it ranks 11th in general physical health and 7th in best work environment The benefits of fighting stress are numerous, and there is a direct correlation between stress and depression.
4. Illinois
Lincoln ranks dead last on WalletHub’s Work Environment and Community Environment index, which includes, among other things, the weather, and as a former resident, I can tell you that the weather is absolutely awful most of the time.
Worse than pizza. (The sound you hear is Chicagoans on the internet cracking their knuckles in preparation to smack my pizza. [redacted].
But Illinois still fare better: The state ranks eighth in mental and physical health, meaning it ranks low on everything from childhood trauma to addiction, but high on things like sports participation, social lives and relationships, and people who like their jobs.
Depression? Unheard of in Illinois! (Seriously, despite that awful pizza, what on earth are you guys doing? I’m never letting it go.)
5. New York
“The concrete jungle where dreams are made” turns out to be as happy as it is grammatically awkward. Like Illinois, the state doesn’t seem to fare as well on WalletHub’s other metrics, ranking pretty low in categories like work environment and community environment.
However, New York ranks even higher than Illinois in mental and physical health at number 7. As a former New Yorker, my completely unscientific theory is that being as outspoken and forthright as New Yorkers are is a great way to let off some of the stress that might lead to depression in other places.
So stop holding back your emotions! Next time someone cuts in front of you, slam the hood of their car like Dustin Hoffman and yell “I’m walking right here!” Or throw your prosthetic leg at the women who are antagonizing you at the dinner table like iconic “Real Housewives of New York” star Aviva Drescher!
What four of the five most depressed states have in common is that they are all Southern states with good old Southern hospitality.
In other words, good manners are bad for your mental health! Be thankful for their kindness.
John Sandholm is a news and entertainment writer covering pop culture, social justice and human interest topics.
