DENVER – Here’s something that could make your day: Colorado is one of the happiest states in the country, according to an analysis by WalletHub.com.
Researchers took a look at state-specific figures about income, health, divorce rates and other factors to come up with the list, on which Colorado ranked fourth overall. The state did even better when researchers looked at emotional and physical well-being, said Jill Gonzalez, spokeswoman for WalletHub.
“Colorado actually had the second-best state obesity rate; they were the third most well-rested people,” she said. “We saw great sports participation rate there, and a very low frequency of heart attacks.”
Colorado’s outdoor recreation opportunities and overall health of its population are thought to be the largest contributors to its high ranking on the list. Utah, Minnesota and North Dakota were the only states ranked happier overall.
When it comes to the source of happiness, Gonzalez said their results prove that money isn’t everything.
“We saw that health had more of a factor on happiness than wealth, so that’s one thing that money can’t buy,” she said. “So really, being healthy is what leads to being – overall – happy.”
As for the unhappiest states in the nation, West Virginia, Alabama and Mississippi rounded out the bottom of the list.
Visit wallethub.com for study results.