Kentucky was ranked the 10th-unhappiest state in the US, receiving bottom-10 rankings for emotional and physical well-being and work environment.
According to the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2022, 25.8% of adults in Kentucky reported being diagnosed with a depressive disorder — that’s nearly 4% higher than the national average of 21.7%. Residents of the “Bluegrass State” also have one of the lowest life expectancies at birth in the country, at 73.5 years, the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics reported in 2020.
Meanwhile, the US Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) one-year estimates reported that the employment rate in the state was about 3% lower than the national rate, at 57.4% compared to 60.6%.
However, while these rankings are particularly low, Kentucky scored highly for its community and environment, finishing 16th overall.