Utah has claimed the title of third-happiest state in the country, according to a new 2026 ranking from personal finance site WalletHub, edging out 47 other states thanks to a combination of financial security, mild weather and shorter work weeks. Only Hawaii and New Jersey scored higher, while Idaho and Maryland rounded out the top five.
How Utah Stacked Up Against the Rest of the Country
Utah finished with an overall score of 66.45, trailing New Jersey's 67.09 and Hawaii's 69.53, according to ksub590.com. WalletHub's analysis examined all 50 states across 30 different metrics, weighing everything from the depression rate and adults feeling productive to income growth and unemployment figures, per WalletHub. The site calculated a weighted average across those metrics to produce each state's overall score before rank-ordering the results, the same source notes.
Utah posted the nation's highest economic security, according to the same WalletHub analysis, a measure of whether residents are employed, insured and financially stable, as reported by ABC4 Utah. The state also carried the 12th-lowest unemployment rate in the country at 3.4%. Utah residents worked fewer hours per week than people in any other state, WalletHub's data shows, and the state posted the nation's second-best weather ranking overall.
Relationships, Health and Work Environment
Utah also had the lowest separation and divorce rate in the country, at around 15%, per the WalletHub study. That tracks with findings from Deseret News, which reported Utah has the second-highest share of people who enjoy supportive relationships and have love in their lives, trailing only New Jersey, which posted the highest share nationally along with the lowest depression rate in the study. Deseret News also found Utah ranks eighth among states for adults reporting good or better health.
The state's work culture drew high marks too. Utah ranks first in the nation for work environment and first for community and environment, according to the same ksub590.com report. ABC4 Utah's account of the study adds that Utah ranked first nationally in volunteer rates, and that Utah adults reported better health, happier marriages and better work-life balance than adults in most other states, per WalletHub's findings.
Where Utah Fell Short
Despite its high overall ranking, Utah did not sweep every category. The state ranked below the top three on suicide rates and adult depression, according to ABC4 Utah's report on the study, though it was not counted among the worst states on WalletHub's metrics overall. Utah's overall score still finished more than double that of West Virginia, which WalletHub's study placed 50th and identified as the least happy state in the country. Kentucky, Alaska, Arkansas and Louisiana rounded out the bottom five, landing at 46th, 47th, 48th and 49th, respectively, per ABC4 Utah's reporting.
Hawaii topped the overall list as the happiest state in America, followed by New Jersey, Utah, Idaho and Maryland, according to Deseret News. For Utah, the ranking lands as a snapshot of a state where financial stability, mild weather and a lighter workload appear to be paying off in day-to-day well-being, even as gaps remain on mental-health measures compared with the states above it.
