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
Vermont
Expensive in dollars and in work hours, but about average in mental distress and in well-being.
Money index: 113.0 · 13% more expensive than the US average
What costs $100 nationally costs about $113 here.
Work hours index: 118.1 · 47.3 hrs/wk · 18% more work than the US average
A 40-hour US-average week costs about 47.3 hours of work here.
Psych index: 96.8 · About the same as the US average
15.1% of adults report frequent mental distress (CDC BRFSS, 2024)
Well-being index: 97.6 · About the same as the US average
Scores 49.93 across 30 happiness metrics, against a 50-state mean of 51.2 (WalletHub, 2025)
Average hourly wage: $35.78/hr (BLS CES, April 2026)
Source: MERIC, Q1 2026 · How Money is calculated