A private ranking commissioned by Manhattan Mental Health Counseling indicates California–despite Gavin Newsom’s puffery–is solidly in the middle of pack when it comes to being happy. The group did a study that combines a number of factors including work-life balance, environment and safety, physical health, mental health and social connection and economic stability. Overall, of the 48 states included–sorry Alaska and Hawaii–California placed dead-center at number 24.
You may have read about this ranking in a variety of publications or web sites. It is a good idea to realize that this is not a poll or survey asking Californians whether they are happy. It is a composite index created by Manhattan Mental Health Counseling using 20 selected statistics and subjective category weights. The underlying data reportedly come from government and nonprofit sources, but the spreadsheet does not provide dates for individual measurements or fully explain its scoring formula.
California ranks 24th out of the 48 states included—perfectly meh. Our natural advantages and relatively strong health measures are offset by unemployment, commuting, crime, affordability and weak social-support indicators–all self-made drawbacks.
Where California performs well
- No. 1: Lowest reported rate of adults diagnosed with depression — 14.1%.
- No. 2: Highly rated state parks.
- No. 5: Life expectancy — 79.3 years.
- No. 7: Low physical inactivity.
- No. 7: Annual sunshine.
- No. 15: Relatively few reported poor mental-health days.
- No. 18: Availability of entertainment events.
Where California performs poorly
- No. 48: Unemployment — 5.5%, highest among the states included.
- No. 48: Parents reportedly lacking emotional support — 32.6%.
- No. 44: Average commute — 30.8 minutes.
- No. 44: Violent crime — 508.2 incidents per 100,000 residents.
- No. 40: Community volunteer rate — 24.1%.
- No. 36: Air quality.
- No. 32: Income relative to the cost of living.
- No. 33: Daily leisure time.
- California’s quality-of-life advantages are real—but so are the government-influenced costs that diminish them.
- Californians benefit from sunshine, parks, longevity and physical activity, yet the state still finishes only 24th.
- California’s natural environment pulls the ranking upward. Unemployment, affordability, crime and commuting pull it back down.
- The state has the study’s longest-tier life expectancy and lowest diagnosed-depression rate, but also its highest unemployment and weakest parental-support result.
- California’s poverty rate is not the primary problem in this dataset. It ranks 28th and is close to the study average. The stronger economic negatives are unemployment and the income-to-cost-of-living ratio.
- A published account says California scored well for “low violent crime” and “good air quality.” The spreadsheet does not support that characterization: California ranks 44th for violent crime and 36th for air quality. Its environmental strengths are parks and sunshine.
- Calling this the “happiest states in America” ranking overstates what was measured. It ranks selected living conditions, not residents’ self-reported happiness.
According the Manhattan Mental Health Counseling, California’s natural gifts keep it afloat, while high costs, unemployment, crime and punishing commutes prevent it from becoming a top-tier place to live. This ranking also shines a light on the man-made barriers to greatness as a state, which may contribute to the divided, fraught political environment.
