#3 |
Utah |
66.45 |
#4 |
Idaho |
62.59 |
#17 |
Arizona |
55.58 |
#30 |
Montana |
49.51 |
#32 |
Nevada |
48.39 |
#36 |
Colorado |
47.31 |
#43 |
Wyoming |
43.26 |
#44 |
New Mexico |
43.10 |
Source: WalletHub. Scores are out of 100.
Arizona was the next-highest Intermountain state at No. 17, followed by Montana at No. 30, Nevada at No. 32 and Colorado at No. 36.
Wyoming and New Mexico finished near the bottom of the national rankings, placing 43rd and 44th, respectively.
The results reveal substantial differences within the region, with Utah and Idaho scoring particularly well in categories involving work and community conditions.
Utah leads nation in two major categories
Utah finished first nationally in both work environment and community and environment, helping offset its 17th-place ranking in emotional and physical well-being.
The Beehive State also earned several notable individual rankings:
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First in separation and divorce rate, reflecting the lowest rate nationally.
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First in number of work hours, with residents working fewer hours per week than those in any other state.
Utah ranked 29th for the percentage of adults with depression and 18th for adequate sleep.
According to WalletHub, Utah has the nation’s highest economic security, a measure of whether residents are employed, insured and financially stable. The report also found Utah has the second-highest share of residents reporting supportive relationships and love in their lives.
The state’s separation and divorce rate was approximately 15%, the lowest in the country.
Utah’s unemployment rate was listed at 3.4%, the 12th-lowest nationally in the report’s underlying data.
Idaho follows closely behind Utah
Idaho’s fourth-place overall finish was supported by strong results in the same two categories that propelled Utah toward the top of the rankings.
The Gem State ranked third nationally in work environment and second in community and environment.
However, Idaho finished 19th in emotional and physical well-being, two places behind Utah.
The results put both states ahead of most of the country despite their comparatively lower rankings in the emotional and physical well-being category.
The difference between the two states’ overall scores was 3.86 points.
Other regional states struggle in key categories
Several other Intermountain states posted mixed results.
Montana ranked seventh nationally in work environment and 10th in community and environment but fell to 43rd in emotional and physical well-being, resulting in an overall ranking of 30th.
Nevada placed fifth nationally in community and environment but ranked 37th in emotional and physical well-being and 39th in work environment.
Colorado’s overall ranking of 36th included a 49th-place finish in community and environment, the second-lowest ranking in that category nationwide.
Wyoming finished 43rd overall, ranking 40th in emotional and physical well-being, 42nd in work environment and 35th in community and environment.
New Mexico ranked 44th overall, including a 48th-place finish in work environment.
How WalletHub measured happiness
WalletHub evaluated the states using three weighted categories: emotional and physical well-being, which accounted for 50% of the overall score; work environment, which accounted for 25%; and community and environment, which accounted for the remaining 25%.
The 30 individual metrics included depression rates, life expectancy, financial anxiety, job security, volunteer participation, weather and leisure time.
Each metric was scored on a 100-point scale, and the weighted results determined the overall rankings.
The company used information from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Gallup and other sources. Data used in the report were collected as of Aug. 11, 2026.
The rankings measure a combination of conditions associated with happiness rather than directly establishing how happy every resident of a state feels.
WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said happiness depends on more than individual choices.
“In addition to pursuing your passions, having a good work-life balance and maintaining an emotional support network, another key way to boost your happiness is living in the right place,” Lupo said.
The complete rankings and methodology are available in WalletHub’s 2026 Happiest States in America report.