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
North Dakota
Cheap in dollars, in work hours, and in mental distress, but about average in well-being.
Money index: 90.7 · 9% cheaper than the US average
What costs $100 nationally costs about $91 here.
Work hours index: 94.3 · 37.7 hrs/wk · 6% less work than the US average
A 40-hour US-average week costs about 37.7 hours of work here.
Psych index: 80.8 · 19% less mental distress than the US average
12.6% of adults report frequent mental distress (CDC BRFSS, 2024)
Well-being index: 104.4 · About the same as the US average
Scores 53.43 across 30 happiness metrics, against a 50-state mean of 51.2 (WalletHub, 2025)
Average hourly wage: $35.98/hr (BLS CES, April 2026)
Source: MERIC, Q1 2026 · How Money is calculated