Maryland has been ranked the fifth-happiest state in America in WalletHub’s 2026 report, placing behind Hawaii, New Jersey, Utah, and Idaho. Maryland fell three spots after being ranked the second happiest state in 2025.
The personal-finance company compared all 50 states across 30 indicators, including depression rates, income growth, unemployment, and the share of adults who feel active and productive. The study aims to identify states with conditions that support happiness and overall life satisfaction.
Maryland’s strongest placements among the highlighted measures included the sixth-lowest suicide rate and the 10th-lowest percentage of adults experiencing depression. The state also ranked 13th in safety.
In other categories, Maryland ranked 19th for volunteer rate, 20th for separation and divorce rate, and 22nd for the share of adults feeling active and productive. It placed closer to the middle for work-related measures, ranking 25th for work hours and 26th for the percentage of the civilian labor force unemployed for 15 weeks or longer.
Neighboring Virginia ranked 16th overall, while West Virginia finished last at No. 50. For the full report, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/happiest-states/6959
