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
West Virginia
Cheap in dollars, expensive in work hours and in mental distress, but low in well-being.
Money index: 87.9 · 12% cheaper than the US average
What costs $100 nationally costs about $88 here.
Work hours index: 107.4 · 42.9 hrs/wk · 7% more work than the US average
A 40-hour US-average week costs about 42.9 hours of work here.
Psych index: 123.7 · 24% more mental distress than the US average
19.3% of adults report frequent mental distress (CDC BRFSS, 2024)
Well-being index: 62.6 · 37% less well-being than the US average
Scores 32.04 across 30 happiness metrics, against a 50-state mean of 51.2 (WalletHub, 2025)
Average hourly wage: $30.63/hr (BLS CES, April 2026)
Source: MERIC, Q1 2026 · How Money is calculated