{"id":293794,"date":"2024-03-10T08:39:36","date_gmt":"2024-03-10T13:39:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/these-are-the-unhappiest-states-in-the-america"},"modified":"2024-03-10T08:39:52","modified_gmt":"2024-03-10T13:39:52","slug":"these-are-the-unhappiest-states-in-the-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/these-are-the-unhappiest-states-in-the-america","title":{"rendered":"These Are The Unhappiest States within the America"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>While your home state isn&#8217;t the only determination of your happiness, you can argue its easier to be happy in a place like Hawaii than somewhere such as North Dakota. That&#8217;s not to say anything is wrong with either Dakota! It&#8217;s just that when people think of a happy paradise, usually it is somewhere tropical or on a beach.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Researchers weighed various criteria, including unemployment rates, sleep quality, and depression rates, to determine which states are most likely to produce miserable residents.<\/p>\n<h2>1. West Virginia<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1110020\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1110020\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1110020\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_9613-scaled-e1696040406600.jpeg\" alt=\"New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"These Are The Unhappiest States in the America 1\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1110020\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Roller Coaster Philosophy &#8211; CC BY 2.0\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When the country roads take West Virginians home to the place they belong, they better hope that a good therapist is in town. The Mountain State has many hollers where unemployment is sky-high, residents&#8217; physical and psychological well-being is lagging, and substance abuse is widespread.<\/p>\n<p>While West Virginia is a naturally beautiful state with many proud residents,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/news\/best-states\/west-virginia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">it lacks quality healthcare, has crumbling infrastructure<\/a>, and many other problems that sap its citizens&#8217; well-being.<\/p>\n<h2>2. Louisiana<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1126239\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1126239\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1126239\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Plantation-Houses-in-Louisiana-oak-alley-plantation-scaled-e1697482674690.jpeg\" alt=\"Oak Alley Plantation, Louisiana\" width=\"1280\" height=\"721\" title=\"These Are The Unhappiest States in the America 2\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1126239\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock\/f11photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When you think Louisiana, you might picture Mardi Gras, Cajun cuisine, or a packed Tiger Stadium during a Saturday night LSU football game. While there is plenty of fun to be had in the Bayou State, the state&#8217;s infrastructure is notoriously unreliable (see: Hurricane Katrina), the economy is lackluster, and many of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lsu.edu\/manship\/news\/2023\/may\/2023-la-survey-shows-crime--tops-public-concerns.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">the state&#8217;s cities are riddled with crime<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>3. Tennessee<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1103275\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1103275\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1103275\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_9147.jpeg\" alt=\"Andrews Bald Trail Great Smokey Mountains Tennessee\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"These Are The Unhappiest States in the America 3\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1103275\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Scott Basford &#8211; Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Despite its crown jewel, Nashville, being among the fastest-growing cities in the country, many Tennesseans need help. In the big picture, the problem is bleak urban poverty (Memphis) and bleak rural poverty (much of the rest of Tennessee). With this poverty comes <a href=\"https:\/\/our.tennessee.edu\/2023\/grand-challenges-in-tennessee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">a lagging educational system<\/a>, limited career opportunities, and widespread substance misuse.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>4. Arkansas<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1109296\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1109296\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1109296\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Arkansas.jpg\" alt=\"Arkansas\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"These Are The Unhappiest States in the America 4\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1109296\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>You&#8217;re not imagining it\u2014the top of this list does disproportionately feature Southern states. While plenty of Arkansas residents are happy as a peach hunting, raking in high salaries working for Wal-Mart or Tyson Foods, and enjoying the state&#8217;s natural beauty, many live in rural, <a href=\"https:\/\/uca.edu\/acre\/citizens-guide-poverty\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">impoverished<\/a> corners of the state.<\/p>\n<h2>5. Kentucky<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1109294\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1109294\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1109294\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Kentucky.jpg\" alt=\"Kentucky\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"These Are The Unhappiest States in the America 5\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1109294\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Kentuckians look down on West Virginians, and vice versa. Each state has its fair share of issues, and Kentucky ranks second highest in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/news\/best-states\/articles\/2023-05-04\/the-most-depressed-states-in-the-u-s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">adult depression rates<\/a> (trailing only, you guessed it, West Virginia).&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>6. Alabama<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1109287\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1109287\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1109287\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Birmingham-Alabama-1.jpg\" alt=\"Birmingham Alabama 1\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"These Are The Unhappiest States in the America 6\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1109287\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Like so many states on this list, Alabama&#8217;s problems boil down to one word: poverty. Alabamans who struggle to make ends meet&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsfa.com\/2023\/10\/12\/overcoming-poverty-alabama-lawmakers-slow-fix-payday-lending-problems\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">have proven susceptible to predatory lenders<\/a>, which only furthers the poverty cycles plaguing residents of many Southern states.<\/p>\n<h2>7. Mississippi<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1111902\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1111902\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1111902\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Gulfport.jpg\" alt=\"Gulfport\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"These Are The Unhappiest States in the America 7\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1111902\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Alex North \/ Coastal Mississippi.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Mississippi has a high divorce rate, <a href=\"https:\/\/worldpopulationreview.com\/state-rankings\/most-dangerous-states\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">second-worst safety rating<\/a>, and lowest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlbt.com\/2020\/01\/16\/mississippi-is-least-physically-active-state-us-study-finds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">physical activity<\/a> level. We must view these problems in the context of Mississippi&#8217;s poverty rate, which generally ranks <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sunherald.com\/news\/health\/article255669161.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">highest<\/a> in the nation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>8. Alaska<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1242869\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1242869\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1242869 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Anchorage-Alaska.jpg\" alt=\"Anchorage, Alaska\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"These Are The Unhappiest States in the America 8\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1242869\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It may be one of the most beautiful states in our country, but it&#8217;s nowhere near one of the happiest. Have you ever braved the Alaskan winter? If you did, you would probably be pretty depressed, too. One of the most naturally stunning states in the summer, Alaska becomes a dark tundra in the wintertime.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If you think it&#8217;s rough in the winter when it gets dark around 4:00 PM, just wait until you experience an Alaskan winter.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>9. New Mexico<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1031547\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1031547\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1031547\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Albuquerque-New-Mexico-e1695486749488.jpg\" alt=\"Albuquerque, New Mexico\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"These Are The Unhappiest States in the America 9\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1031547\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>New Mexico has one of the highest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/news\/best-states\/articles\/states-with-the-highest-divorce-rates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">divorce rates<\/a> of all 50 states. The Land of Enchantment is also the land of entrapment because <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dws.state.nm.us\/Portals\/0\/DM\/LMI\/Poverty_in_NM_2019.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">nearly 20% of residents are stuck in a cycle of generational poverty<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>10. Oklahoma<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1087046\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1087046\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1087046\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMG_7801.jpeg\" alt=\"Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA skyline at twilight.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"These Are The Unhappiest States in the America 10\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1087046\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Sean Pavone \/ Shutterstock.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>During the Great Depression, &#8220;Okies&#8221; wore the dusty faces of crippling property within a nation racked by economic hardship. While the Dust Bowl has subsided, Oklahomans do not fare well within the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.southwestledger.news\/news\/state-misery-index-among-highest-nation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">misery index<\/a>, which indicates poor growth in gross domestic product.<\/p>\n<h2>11. Indiana<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1109120\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1109120\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1109120\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_9584-scaled-e1695950211743.jpeg\" alt=\"Indiana Dunes National Park, Michigan City, Indiana\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"These Are The Unhappiest States in the America 11\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1109120\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Addiction is rampant in Indiana,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/addictions.iu.edu\/understanding-crisis\/crisis-in-indiana.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">where nearly one in 12 Hoosiers has a substance use disorder<\/a>. While you might picture cornfields and the poverty that often accompanies rural living, cities like Gary prove Indiana also has its share of hyper-dangerous, decaying urban centers.<\/p>\n<h2>12. Texas<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1102638\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1102638\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1102638\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Biggest-Stadiums-in-College-Football-Texas-memorial-stadium-scaled-e1695241764638.jpeg\" alt=\"Texas Memorial Stadium\" width=\"1280\" height=\"721\" title=\"These Are The Unhappiest States in the America 12\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1102638\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock\/Wangkun Jia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It&#8217;s hard to believe a state with Texas&#8217; population growth rate could rank so high in terms <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star-telegram.com\/news\/state\/texas\/article279375754.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">of unhappiness<\/a>, but the data is what it is. Zooming into many Texan cities and towns (especially toward the Southern border), you will see large pockets of impoverished Texans. The rapidly growing population also contributes to overcrowding, worn-out infrastructure, and rising living costs.<\/p>\n<h2>13. Oregon<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1110004\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1110004\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1110004\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_9603-scaled-e1696034862797.jpeg\" alt=\"Crater Lake National Park, Oregon\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"These Are The Unhappiest States in the America 13\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1110004\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Tobias Haase -CC BY 2.0\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Pacific Northwest has become the poster region for the substance abuse epidemic, with sidewalks in cities like Portland looking like modern versions of <a href=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/movies-authentic-depictions-depression\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Depression-era Hoovervilles<\/a>. The weather alone can cause depression, while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.portlandtribune.com\/townnews\/mathematics\/is-oregon-one-of-the-worst-states-to-live-in-a-new-ranking-says-yes\/article_61d0e750-3b8d-11ee-8027-9b12c27a8bc3.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">high living costs<\/a> may add to Oregonians&#8217; funk.<\/p>\n<h2>14. Ohio<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1110003\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1110003\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1110003\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_9602-scaled-e1696034469897.jpeg\" alt=\"Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"These Are The Unhappiest States in the America 14\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1110003\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Erik Drost &#8211; CC BY 2.0\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It&#8217;s tough to blame Ohioans for getting down, what with the frigid winter weather, exportation of the manufacturing sector, and trainloads of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/health\/health-news\/ohio-train-derailment-hazardous-chemical-polluted-air-rcna93640\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">toxic chemicals<\/a> being burned in their backyard. At least they have Ohio State football as a consistent source of pride and joy.<\/p>\n<h2>15. Wyoming<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1110021\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1110021\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1110021\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_9614-scaled-e1696040598869.jpeg\" alt=\"Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" title=\"These Are The Unhappiest States in the America 15\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1110021\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Larry Lamsa &#8211; CC BY 2.0\/Wiki Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The least populous state, Wyoming, likely has a higher-than-average percentage of <a href=\"https:\/\/wallethub.com\/edu\/happiest-states\/6959\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">lonely residents<\/a>. It might be tough to get a Tinder date when the closest neighbor is 100 miles away. Brutal winters likely only exacerbate any sense of isolation Wyoming residents feel.<\/p>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/the-unhappiest-states-in-the-america\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While your home state isn&#8217;t the only determination of your happiness, you can argue its easier to be happy in a place like Hawaii than [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-293794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/293794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=293794"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/293794\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=293794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=293794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=293794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}