Massachusetts Ranked 9th Happiest State in America

Illustration by Kyle Clauss

Massachusetts residents have a reputation for being a salty crowd, so much so that the word “Masshole” earned inclusion in the Oxford English Dictionary earlier this year. Blame it on our Puritan past, the unforgiving winters, or, prior to 2004, the Red Sox’s penchant for heartbreak. Our distaste for saying hello to the average passerby is surpassed only by our distaste for using blinkers.

Personal finance social network WalletHub—the same folks who crowned Boston the best U.S. city for sports fans—has poked a hole in the Bay State’s dour self-image, ranking it the ninth happiest state in America. WalletHub compiled its list using 25 metrics, ranging from emotional health to income levels to sports participation rates.

The top 10, in order: Utah, Minnesota, Hawaii, Colorado, North Dakota, Nebraska, Washington, Iowa, Massachusetts, and Wyoming. The other New England states landed a bit further down the list: Vermont (13), New Hampshire (16), Connecticut (22), Maine (32), and Rhode Island (41).

Massachusetts boasts the fourth lowest obesity rate, fourth lowest suicide rate, and the fourth lowest numbers of hours worked (tied with Michigan and Rhode Island). Half of the six New England states are among the five safest states in America, with Massachusetts taking top honors.

The least happy state in America? That’d be West Virginia. You can read more about WalletHub’s ranking here.