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
Minnesota
Cheap in dollars, in work hours, and in mental distress, but high in well-being.
Money index: 93.4 · 7% cheaper than the US average
What costs $100 nationally costs about $93 here.
Work hours index: 90.7 · 36.3 hrs/wk · 9% less work than the US average
A 40-hour US-average week costs about 36.3 hours of work here.
Psych index: 89.7 · 10% less mental distress than the US average
14% of adults report frequent mental distress (CDC BRFSS, 2024)
Well-being index: 113.8 · 14% more well-being than the US average
Scores 58.21 across 30 happiness metrics, against a 50-state mean of 51.2 (WalletHub, 2025)
Average hourly wage: $38.53/hr (BLS CES, April 2026)
Source: MERIC, Q1 2026 · How Money is calculated