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
Kansas
Cheap in dollars, but about average in work hours, in mental distress, and in well-being.
Money index: 87.6 · 12% cheaper than the US average
What costs $100 nationally costs about $88 here.
Work hours index: 99.4 · 39.7 hrs/wk · About the same as the US average
A 40-hour US-average week costs about 39.7 hours of work here.
Psych index: 101.9 · About the same as the US average
15.9% of adults report frequent mental distress (CDC BRFSS, 2024)
Well-being index: 100.2 · About the same as the US average
Scores 51.29 across 30 happiness metrics, against a 50-state mean of 51.2 (WalletHub, 2025)
Average hourly wage: $32.98/hr (BLS CES, April 2026)
Source: MERIC, Q1 2026 · How Money is calculated