Sunday, June 11, 2023

Do You Live In One Of America's Miserable States?


I have been finding myself amused a time or two or three by lists I find on the Edge Browser opening page. Items like each state's boomtown. Or each state's best Mexican restaurant. Or ranking states from least scenic to most scenic.

The list we are looking at here purports to rank the states from most miserably unhappy to happiest.

Before getting to the list the explanatory text is as follows...

If You’re Happy and You Know It
There are plenty of factors that play into overall happiness, and the past few years have been a challenge for some. COVID-19 impacted travel, businesses, and incidentally, happiness. But how are things looking now? WalletHub conducted a study to evaluate happiness in each state, comparing them among three primary dimensions: emotional and physical well-being, community and environment, and work environment. The dimensions were further broken down into 31 different metrics and graded on a 100-point scale. Cheapism compiled the results, ranked from the least happy to the happiest, and included explanations of why each state is so unhappy or happy. 

The link to The Most Miserable States in America might not work, due to it possibly being unique to my computer.

Of the Most Miserable Unhappy States all but New Mexico are southern states.

Coming in at #50, West Virginia is the most miserably unhappy state.

Of the unhappy miserable southern states, the state I am currently in, Texas, is the least miserable.

That photo of oil getting pump is the image that illustrated Texas. Here is the text which explains why Texas is so miserably unhappy...

#36 Texas is the second-largest state both in terms of land mass and population. It’s also one of the more unhappy states. Texas ranks at the very bottom for community and environment and also ranks low for work environment. Workers in the state work longer hours than average, and Texas is also one of the most unsafe places to live.

The state I lived in before moving to Texas, Washington, apparently is less miserable and way happier than Texas


#22 Washington is known for a lot of things: lush green landscapes, incredible hiking trails, fresh seafood, and apparently, happiness. Washington is the 22nd happiest state with high sports participation and high income growth levels acting as key players in that score.

Marijuana is legal in Washington, which I'm sure helps add to the happiness. Along with how easy it is to get yourself fresh fruit, like picking blackberries, which grow wild and free in Washington.

Now, what is the happiest, least miserable state in the United States? 

Well, that is sort of an easy one to guess. 

Hawaii is #1.

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