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
Rhode Island
Expensive in dollars and in work hours, cheap in mental distress, but about average in well-being.
Money index: 111.2 · 11% more expensive than the US average
What costs $100 nationally costs about $111 here.
Work hours index: 110.0 · 44.0 hrs/wk · 10% more work than the US average
A 40-hour US-average week costs about 44.0 hours of work here.
Psych index: 92.9 · 7% less mental distress than the US average
14.5% of adults report frequent mental distress (CDC BRFSS, 2024)
Well-being index: 101.0 · About the same as the US average
Scores 51.68 across 30 happiness metrics, against a 50-state mean of 51.2 (WalletHub, 2025)
Average hourly wage: $37.81/hr (BLS CES, April 2026)
Source: MERIC, Q1 2026 · How Money is calculated