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
South Dakota
Cheap in dollars and in mental distress, expensive in work hours, but high in well-being.
Money index: 94.1 · 6% cheaper than the US average
What costs $100 nationally costs about $94 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: 88.5 · 12% less mental distress than the US average
13.8% of adults report frequent mental distress (CDC BRFSS, 2024)
Well-being index: 109.3 · 9% more well-being than the US average
Scores 55.93 across 30 happiness metrics, against a 50-state mean of 51.2 (WalletHub, 2025)
Average hourly wage: $31.99/hr (BLS CES, April 2026)
Source: MERIC, Q1 2026 · How Money is calculated