here's the Methodology that produced the rankings:
" 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.
Our analysis draws upon the findings of the following research, each of which has indicated a correlation between our data and happiness:..."
See the article for the full discussion of the methodology, the metrics and research used to produce their findings. It is more than just walking around a few places in a state and making an assessment based on personal observations of a small sample size of people...
I have been to Alaska, during the summer...talking to locals, they say that's the best time to be there...personally I had a hard time sleeping due to the light levels...it never got really dark...sleep deprived, I was kinda loopy
many say the winters are depressing due to short days and long nights, few opportunities for socialization, except at bars...so alcoholism is a problem...of course, that input is also personal observation from a small sample size of locals...
