Why New Jersey is Considered One of the Happiest States

Why is New Jersey so Happy?

To determine what makes New Jersey a great state to live in, let's examine the three studies that ranked it so highly.

The Soliant Study

In this study, New Jersey was behind Nebraska, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Rhode Island. The highest-ranked state, Nebraska, had a score of 85.2 whereas New Jersey had a score of 78.4.

The factors they used to find this number included:

• The frequency of “bad mental health days” reported by the existing population
• Access to mental health providers
• Suicide rate of people aged 15-24
• Unemployment rate
• Violent crime rate
• Disconnected youth rate, which is teens and young adults aged 16-19 who are neither working nor in school
• Access to exercise opportunities, including public parks, recreation facilities, and YMCAs
• Air pollution, to offset states with limited access to exercise opportunities due to rural landscapes and larger bodies of nature or protected land

Soliant wanted to create a “big picture” look at mental health that expanded beyond just access to mental health care. They were looking for states that provided quality youth mental health care, access to outdoor spaces (proven to increase happiness and decrease mental illnesses), and was a safe place to live. 

The WalletHub Survey

WalletHub conducted a different survey with slightly different metrics and found nearly the same result: they ranked New Jersey as the 5th happiest state. New Jersey’s rankings for their specific metrics were:

(1 = happiest; 25 = average):

• Suicide Rate - 1
• Emotional and Physical Wellbeing - 3
• Divorce Rate - 3
• Share of Adult Depression - 12
• Share of Adults Feeling Active and Productive - 13
• Work Environment - 14
• Safety - 15
• Mean Work Hours - 16
• Adequate-Sleep Rate - 25
• Community & Environment - 29

In this report, New Jersey was only behind Minnesota (4), Maryland (3), Hawaii (2) and Utah (1). Their study focused on three key areas: "Emotional and Physical Well-Being," "Work Environment and Community" and "Environment."

Forbes Report

Finally, Forbes came out with a report focused more specifically on access to mental health care. They examined the average wait time once contact with a therapist was initiated, the number of mental health care businesses, uninsured vs insured residents, the number of people with mental health issues not going to therapy, and more. In this report, New Jersey ranked 25th. 

Next, let’s look at three commonalities these studies had, and what they can tell us about mental health in New Jersey. 

Reason 1: Child and Teenager Mental Health

All three of these studies measured youth mental health. Soliant found that the rate of disconnected youths (those not working or in school) was directly correlated to the overall mental health score. Other studies have backed this argument, saying that the younger generation’s mental health is often a direct reflection of the availability of mental health services.  

New Jersey ranks well in this area compared to other states, but there is plenty of room for improvement. The Forbes study found that 54.1% of youth with depression do not receive mental health care. This is about average for the United States, but calls into question the robustness of our youth mental health care services. There is a greater need for teenage and child therapists in New Jersey. 

Reason 2: Healthy Environments

Two of the three studies focused on the same metric: access to a healthy environment. This includes outdoor spaces but also includes quality of life: low crime rates and lots of job opportunities. 

All of this says the same thing: It’s hard to be happy when you’re in survival mode. 

Reason 3: Access to Quality Mental Health Services

Finally, a direct correlator of happiness was access to quality mental health services. States that had less people in therapy and less access to affordable therapy (whether through insurance or state-funded avenues) had happier populations. 

Therapy in New Jersey is a vital component of our mental health that cannot be ignored. 1 in 5 Americans suffer from a mental health disorder, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). So for 1 in 5 people, therapy is crucial. This doesn’t include people dealing with chronic stress, bad relationships, or difficult transitions. 

To increase happiness in New Jersey, we have to focus on therapy in New Jersey. 

Cultivating Happiness with Therapy in New Jersey

What does this all mean for you? Although there is no one way to become happy, these studies reveal patterns that can help you shape a high-quality life. 

Here are ten tips to live a healthier life in New Jersey: 

• Get outside
• Lean on your support system 
• Fill your time with things that bring you quality of life or joy (work, school, hobbies, etc.)
• Think carefully about where you live (do you have high crime rates or cost of living?)
• Exercise regularly 
• Get curious about your surroundings—get out and explore!
• Find a quality therapist in New Jersey to help you through the hard times. 

Happiness, like all emotions, is not a set state of being. It will come and grow with the good and hard times. The goal of life should not be to be happy all the time, because other emotions have value too. But building a life in which happiness is a default or at least a common state is something we can all aspire with. 

Like these studies suggest, mental health is critically linked to happiness. If your mental health is struggling, your happiness levels will too. There is more than one way to address mental health issues and mental illness, but one of the most common (and often easiest) ways to do so is through a mental health therapist. Finding a New Jersey therapist is easy with Lifebulb. We have in-person offices in big cities and offer online therapy everywhere in New Jersey. We’ll handle all the administrative tasks (billing, scheduling, and yes, even calling your insurance company to verify your benefits!) so you can focus on your goal: getting happier. 

Call our team to learn more, or browse our New Jersey therapist directory.  

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