New Jersey is the second happiest state in the country, according to WalletHub’s 2026 Happiest States in America ranking on Tuesday, Sept. 8. The study compared all 50 states across 30 key metrics affecting happiness, including work hours, unemployment, income growth, family stability, volunteer rates, safety, depression, and suicide rates.
“The happiest states are those that provide above-average quality of life in a wide variety of areas, from strong state economies and great physical and mental healthcare to adequate amounts of leisure time and good weather. It’s also important to note that while the adage that money can’t buy happiness has a lot of truth to it, having enough money to live comfortably is still essential. But anything beyond that won’t necessarily enhance happiness as much as having fulfilling hobbies, relationships, and opportunities for personal growth,” said Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst.
Factors Making NJ So Happy
Residents of N.J. have the lowest share of people reporting traumatic events during their childhood and the fifth-highest life satisfaction rate. The state also has the lowest depression rate and the highest share of people who have supportive relationships and love in their lives. Together, these factors create the conditions for good mental health.
New Jersey residents also report higher marital satisfaction. The Garden State has the second-lowest separation and divorce rate in the country, at around 17%.
Financially, New Jersey has the second-highest share of households earning over $75,000 per year. It also has the seventh-lowest food insecurity rate, showing that the state is making progress in addressing poverty. Plus, New Jersey has the 17th-lowest share of people who get anxious when thinking about their personal finances.
Methodology
In order to determine the happiest states in America, WalletHub compared the 50 states across three key dimensions: 1) Emotional & Physical Well-Being, 2) Work Environment and 3) Community & Environment.
“We evaluated those dimensions using 30 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing maximum happiness.
Finally, we determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.”