Tennessee Ranks Among the Least Happy States in 2025

Which U.S. States are the Happiest?

WalletHub has released its 2025 report of the Happiest States in America. To determine which states were happier than others, analysts evaluated them based on three main categories – Emotional & Physical Well-Being, Work Environment, and Community & Environment.

Tennessee’s Overall Happiness Ranking in 2025

According to the data, Tennessee is currently the 45th happiest state in the country. Another way to say it is that Tennessee is the 6^th least happy state in the U.S. That only states that are less happy are Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and West Virginia (in that order). In fact, 8 out of the bottom 10 states are located in the South.

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Here's how Tennessee placed in those key categories:

• Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank: 47th
• Work Environment Rank: 29th
• Community & Environment Rank: 35^th
• Tennessee also tied for having the 2^nd highest share of adult depression.

It’s important to remember that this ranking is relative: 1 is the happiest state, and 50 is the least. Tennessee’s 45^th ranking reflects its performance across several happiness factors, but not necessarily residents’ overall misery.

These Are The Happiest States in America

Which state do you think landed at the very top of the list? It should probably come as NO surprise to know that Hawaii was ranked #1. I guess I was slightly surprised by the rest of the top five (although I really didn’t know what to expect) – Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

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Check out the FULL REPORT to see more information about why Tennessee is ranked so low. For a less detailed look, just scroll over the map below to see how the rest of the states ranked.