Posh Peanut, a clothing design company, set out to identify where the happiest families in the United States reside. Which states are packed with happy families living out the American dream?
The study did reach some conclusions, with Utah, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts at the top of the list. However, some of the correlations that emerged in the data also provide hints on how to create happy families and environments in which they thrive.
Health Is A Significant Contributor To Happiness
The study examined several metrics for happiness, including divorce rates, childcare costs, and the Happy Child Index, a complex score assigned by a previous study from VocoVision. That previous study examined access to resources such as mental healthcare and healthy food, as well as indices like the youth suicide rate and child sleep quality, among many other metrics.
It turns out that there is a high correlation between children’s health and family happiness. Consider that Psychology Today reports that the divorce rate skyrockets in families with children with special health needs. Health problems in kids are a significant stressor for the adults, and can be even more so when the necessary care is hard to access.
Of course, kids can have chronic health conditions or disabilities anywhere, but access to health care, including mental health care, and supportive resources, can make a significant difference in happiness.
Happy Kids Correlate With Happy Families (Mostly)
The final data that Posh Peanut gathered was weighted, and each state was given a score called the Happy Family Index. Although this data considers factors beyond child happiness, such as divorce rates, the overall result reveals a significant correlation between child happiness and family happiness.
For example, the top three states — Utah, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts — had Child Happiness Index scores of 71.72, 68.43, and 77.78, respectively, while the Family Happiness Index for the same three states was 99.23, 81.02, and 75.09, respectively.
Notably, child happiness doesn’t guarantee family happiness, and only one of the top three states for family happiness (Massachusetts) was also among the top three for child happiness.
Divorce Impacts Family Happiness
While no one should stay in an unsafe relationship “for the kids,” it’s also clear that divorce has negative impacts on child and family happiness.
The top ten states for family happiness, in addition to the three already mentioned, include Illinois, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Kansas, Louisiana, and Iowa, which tend to have lower divorce rates. Hawaii and Louisiana both have fewer than two divorces per 10 marriages, and all ten top states have fewer than four divorces per 10 marriages, placing them all below the national average of 40-50% of marriages ending in divorce.
The implication from this data is that families with strong, supportive bonds tend to be happier. Not every relationship is healthy, but when connections are nurtured and relationships are valued, they create a solid foundation for lasting happiness.
Access To Affordable Childcare Helps Families Thrive
When families can afford childcare, a world of opportunities opens up. Both parents can bring home an income, meaning that needs, from food to home repairs to security, can be met. Interestingly, Massachusetts topped our list of the 15 states with the most expensive childcare costs. That state, however, also has the highest annual median household income at $99,858 according to a report from U.S. News.
While wealth does not always guarantee happiness, the difference between struggling to make ends meet and having enough to get by comfortably can significantly reduce stress and support the journey to happiness. It also means better work-life balance, since families aren’t forced to juggle opposite work schedules.
Quality childcare also offers numerous benefits for children, including opportunities for social-emotional development, diverse experiences, and academic support.
What Makes Families Happy?
The sum of the data from this study shows that families are not happiest when they’re wealthiest, and that happiness isn’t directly based on location.
Instead, happy families thrive in environments where there are resources, support, and a sense of community. Families are happiest when they can meet their children’s needs and feel strong connections to one another and their communities.
The study did show that these supports are not adequately in place in all states; however, most importantly, the data strongly suggest that when we implement resources that make families healthier, more secure, and better supported, we foster happier families.