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
New Mexico
Cheap in dollars, expensive in work hours and in mental distress, but low in well-being.
Money index: 89.9 · 10% cheaper than the US average
What costs $100 nationally costs about $90 here.
Work hours index: 106.9 · 42.7 hrs/wk · 7% more work than the US average
A 40-hour US-average week costs about 42.7 hours of work here.
Psych index: 116.7 · 17% more mental distress than the US average
18.2% of adults report frequent mental distress (CDC BRFSS, 2024)
Well-being index: 84.2 · 16% less well-being than the US average
Scores 43.08 across 30 happiness metrics, against a 50-state mean of 51.2 (WalletHub, 2025)
Average hourly wage: $31.47/hr (BLS CES, April 2026)
Source: MERIC, Q1 2026 · How Money is calculated