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
Delaware
About average in dollars and in mental distress, expensive in work hours, but high in well-being.
Money index: 101.7 · About the same as the US average
What costs $100 nationally costs about $102 here.
Work hours index: 113.9 · 45.6 hrs/wk · 14% more work than the US average
A 40-hour US-average week costs about 45.6 hours of work here.
Psych index: 103.2 · About the same as the US average
16.1% of adults report frequent mental distress (CDC BRFSS, 2024)
Well-being index: 109.6 · 10% more well-being than the US average
Scores 56.07 across 30 happiness metrics, against a 50-state mean of 51.2 (WalletHub, 2025)
Average hourly wage: $33.40/hr (BLS CES, April 2026)
Source: MERIC, Q1 2026 · How Money is calculated