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
Nebraska
Cheap in dollars and in mental distress, about average in work hours, but high in well-being.
Money index: 91.3 · 9% cheaper than the US average
What costs $100 nationally costs about $91 here.
Work hours index: 104.9 · 42.0 hrs/wk · About the same as the US average
A 40-hour US-average week costs about 42.0 hours of work here.
Psych index: 85.9 · 14% less mental distress than the US average
13.4% of adults report frequent mental distress (CDC BRFSS, 2024)
Well-being index: 124.3 · 24% more well-being than the US average
Scores 63.61 across 30 happiness metrics, against a 50-state mean of 51.2 (WalletHub, 2025)
Average hourly wage: $32.56/hr (BLS CES, April 2026)
Source: MERIC, Q1 2026 · How Money is calculated