So, it's cold a lot and it snows plenty and there are mosquitos that can lift a grown man off the ground. But, at least they have ice fishing. Those things, plus (I'm guessing) a few others have combined to make Minnesota the happiest state in the nation, according to a new study. Illinois has all those things, too. Why aren't we the happiest?

The study that I'm referring to is WalletHub's "2017's Happiest States in America." All kidding aside, it appears that the Land of 10,000 Lakes has a bunch of things going for it in the happiness department. Here's what WalletHub's numbers-crunchers looked at to determine the line-up:

In this study, WalletHub’s analysts drew upon the findings of “happiness” research to determine which environmental factors are linked to a person’s overall well-being and satisfaction with life. Previous studies have found that good economic, emotional, physical and social health are all key to a well-balanced and fulfilled life.

To determine where Americans exhibit the best combination of these factors, we examined the 50 states across 28 key metrics, ranging from depression rate to sports participation rate to income growth.

Here are the top 5 happiest states, even though the spoiler for #1 was in the headline:

1) Minnesota

2) Utah

3) Hawaii

4) California

5) Nebraska

Next, the 5 states bringing up the rear in the happy department:

46) Arkansas

47) Alabama

48) Louisiana

49) Oklahoma

50) West Virginia

As for Illinois, at least we're in the top half, coming in overall at #20. Wisconsin holds the #9 spot, while Iowa is #8. Indiana comes in at #34, Missouri is #43, and Michigan is #29.

Illinois is also among the 5 states with the lowest share of adult depression, but we're also among the 5 states with the highest long-term unemployment rates.

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