United States
What each state charges — in dollars, in work hours, and in mental distress — and what it gives back in well-being, against the US average (100).
Ranked by Money · lighter burden first
California
Expensive in dollars and in work hours, about average in mental distress, but high in well-being.
Money index: 140.5 · 41% more expensive than the US average
What costs $100 nationally costs about $141 here.
Work hours index: 123.5 · 49.4 hrs/wk · 23% more work than the US average
A 40-hour US-average week costs about 49.4 hours of work here.
Psych index: 95.5 · About the same as the US average
14.9% of adults report frequent mental distress (CDC BRFSS, 2024)
Well-being index: 117.4 · 17% more well-being than the US average
Scores 60.09 across 30 happiness metrics, against a 50-state mean of 51.2 (WalletHub, 2025)
Average hourly wage: $42.56/hr (BLS CES, April 2026)
Source: MERIC, Q1 2026 · How Money is calculated