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
Wisconsin
About average in dollars and in well-being, but expensive in work hours and in mental distress.
Money index: 97.4 · About the same as the US average
What costs $100 nationally costs about $97 here.
Work hours index: 105.0 · 42.0 hrs/wk · 5% more work than the US average
A 40-hour US-average week costs about 42.0 hours of work here.
Psych index: 110.3 · 10% more mental distress than the US average
17.2% of adults report frequent mental distress (CDC BRFSS, 2024)
Well-being index: 104.8 · About the same as the US average
Scores 53.62 across 30 happiness metrics, against a 50-state mean of 51.2 (WalletHub, 2025)
Average hourly wage: $34.69/hr (BLS CES, April 2026)
Source: MERIC, Q1 2026 · How Money is calculated