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
Illinois
About average in dollars, in work hours, and in well-being, but cheap in mental distress.
Money index: 95.1 · About the same as the US average
What costs $100 nationally costs about $95 here.
Work hours index: 97.9 · 39.1 hrs/wk · About the same as the US average
A 40-hour US-average week costs about 39.1 hours of work here.
Psych index: 83.3 · 17% less mental distress than the US average
13% of adults report frequent mental distress (CDC BRFSS, 2024)
Well-being index: 104.3 · About the same as the US average
Scores 53.38 across 30 happiness metrics, against a 50-state mean of 51.2 (WalletHub, 2025)
Average hourly wage: $36.35/hr (BLS CES, April 2026)
Source: MERIC, Q1 2026 · How Money is calculated