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
Oregon
Expensive in dollars, in work hours, and in mental distress, but low in well-being.
Money index: 109.6 · 10% more expensive than the US average
What costs $100 nationally costs about $110 here.
Work hours index: 106.4 · 42.6 hrs/wk · 6% more work than the US average
A 40-hour US-average week costs about 42.6 hours of work here.
Psych index: 121.8 · 22% more mental distress than the US average
19% of adults report frequent mental distress (CDC BRFSS, 2024)
Well-being index: 87.8 · 12% less well-being than the US average
Scores 44.93 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