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
Kentucky
Cheap in dollars, expensive in work hours and in mental distress, but low in well-being.
Money index: 92.5 · 8% cheaper than the US average
What costs $100 nationally costs about $93 here.
Work hours index: 112.6 · 45.1 hrs/wk · 13% more work than the US average
A 40-hour US-average week costs about 45.1 hours of work here.
Psych index: 117.9 · 18% more mental distress than the US average
18.4% of adults report frequent mental distress (CDC BRFSS, 2024)
Well-being index: 84.5 · 15% less well-being than the US average
Scores 43.25 across 30 happiness metrics, against a 50-state mean of 51.2 (WalletHub, 2025)
Average hourly wage: $30.72/hr (BLS CES, April 2026)
Source: MERIC, Q1 2026 · How Money is calculated