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Utah ranked 4th happiest state in U.S., dropping from last year’s top spot

Three men and one woman laughing in the sunset.
Helena Lopes
/
Unsplash

After being named the happiest state across the United States in 2021, Utah dropped down a few spots in 2022, losing its top spot.

In one of the newest WalletHub rankings, Utah reportedly lost its top spot as the nation’s happiest state. It’s now ranked as the country’s fourth happiest state.

Remaining in the No. 1 spot when it comes to ‘Work Environment’ and ‘Community & Environment’ categories, Utah dropped significantly in the ‘Emotional Well-Being’ category, a category that factors in things such as physical health, adequate sleep, sports participation, and share of adult depression. Last year, Utah finished No. 9 in the category but in 2022, it’s ranked No. 29.

Fortunately, the WalletHub study shows that the state has nearly the lowest unemployment rate in the entire nation and also revealed that Utah residents work the fewest hours. Not only that, but divorce rates are the lowest in the U.S.

With Utah dropping from its top spot, Hawaii is now crowned as the happiest state in the country with Maryland and Minnesota claiming the second and third happiest state titles.

Jared Gereau is pursuing a Journalism major with an emphasis in Social Media at Utah State University. He is planning on using his experience to pursue a career with USU Athletics sometime after he graduates. In his free time, Jared enjoys watching movies, playing games and creating content for his YouTube channel.