Soliant Health has released its annual Best States for Mental Health Report, which ranks all 50 states on various factors that impact mental health and mental healthcare access.
The report was commissioned to better understand the disparities in mental health support in communities and schools nationwide, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 1 in 5 Americans will experience a mental illness each year. This comprehensive report aims to elevate the conversations about mental health and the crucial need for increased access to mental wellness services across the country.
Soliant worked with healthcare professionals to consider a wider range of factors that impact mental health at all ages, in addition to factors regarding the ability to engage in good mental health practices.
Utilizing agency data and data from several reputable sources, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the report weighed these numerous factors that impact people’s mental health status across all 50 states. These factors include:
- The frequency of “poor mental health days” reported by the population
- Unemployment rate
- Participation in physical activity
- Disconnected youth rate, which is the percentage of teens and young adults aged 16-24 who are neither working or in school
- Access to healthy foods
The top-ranking states best meet the mental health needs of the population, for example, by providing emotional support for school students and sufficient access to exercise opportunities so that people can engage in good mental health practices.
The Happiest & Healthiest States
The Soliant 2025 Best States for Mental Health report revealed that the best state for mental health is North Dakota, collecting 82 of the total 100 points possible. Here’s how the state scored across the health categories:
- North Dakota has the third-lowest unemployment rate in the nation, at 2.4%.
- The state came in 12th for physical activity participation, with 78.5% of the population participating in physical activity in the past month.
- North Dakota residents reported an average of 4.2 “poor mental health days” in the last 30 days—tying with Nebraska as the second lowest in the nation.
- The state has the lowest level of teenagers and young adults (ages 16-24) who are not working nor in school of all 50 states, at roughly 5%.
- North Dakota ranked 27th for access to healthy foods, with 6.86% of the population experiencing limited access.
How States Compare
Coming in last, West Virginia (50) had the highest average number of mentally unhealthy days reported by residents in the past 30 days, at 6.6 days. The state also has the third-lowest physical activity participation rate (68%) and ties for the second-highest disconnected youth rate in the nation (14%).
Louisiana (49) came in second to last. This state has the fifth-lowest physical activity participation rate (69.9%), the fourth-highest average number of poor mental health days (5.8 days), the third-highest percent of the population with limited access to healthy foods rate (10.7%), and it ties with Arkansas for the highest disconnected youth rate in the nation (15%).
In addition to an alarmingly high disconnected youth rate, Arkansas (48) has the fifth-highest average number of poor mental health days (5.7 days), the fifth-highest percent of the population with limited access to healthy foods (10%), and the second-lowest physical activity participation rate (67.5%).
[H4] Rankings
| Rank | State | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | 82.0 |
| 2 | Vermont | 80.8 |
| 3 | Nebraska | 78.0 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 77.2 |
| 5 | Hawaii | 72.8 |
| 6 | Maryland | 71.3 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 70.2 |
| 8 | Iowa | 69.3 |
| 9 | Utah | 68.4 |
| 10 | Minnesota | 68.2 |
| 11 | Virginia | 67.4 |
| 12 | South Dakota | 67.1 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | 66.7 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | 66.6 |
| 15 | Colorado | 65.9 |
| 16 | Connecticut | 65.1 |
| 17 | Maine | 63.9 |
| 18 | New Jersey | 63.2 |
| 19 | Delaware | 61.0 |
| 20 | Montana | 59.9 |
| 21 | New York | 59.3 |
| 22 | Idaho | 58.8 |
| 23 | Oregon | 58.5 |
| 24 | Washington | 58.0 |
| 25 | North Carolina | 57.6 |
| 26 | Illinois | 57.1 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | 56.4 |
| 28 | Wyoming | 56.4 |
| 29 | California | 56.2 |
| 30 | Florida | 56.2 |
| 31 | Arizona | 54.5 |
| 32 | Kansas | 54.3 |
| 33 | Missouri | 49.1 |
| 34 | Georgia | 46.5 |
| 35 | Indiana | 45.9 |
| 36 | Alabama | 45.8 |
| 37 | Ohio | 45.5 |
| 38 | Michigan | 44.8 |
| 39 | Alaska | 44.4 |
| 40 | Tennessee | 39.9 |
| 41 | Texas | 39.9 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | 39.7 |
| 43 | South Carolina | 38.5 |
| 44 | Kentucky | 34.8 |
| 45 | New Mexico | 31.9 |
| 46 | Mississippi | 31.5 |
| 47 | Nevada | 26.7 |
| 48 | Arkansas | 26.6 |
| 49 | Louisiana | 23.1 |
| 50 | West Virginia | 21.9 |
The Significance of Disconnected Youths
One key finding is the strong correlation between a state’s disconnected youth rate and its overall ranking. Disconnected youth face heightened risks of poor mental health, including increased vulnerability to violence, substance abuse, and emotional challenges. Studies also indicate that these individuals are more likely to experience unemployment, poverty, and mental health disorders later in life.
This connection underscores the importance of having healthcare professionals in schools. These professionals play a vital role in fostering students’ emotional well-being and educational development, helping them grow into healthy and happy adults.
By addressing the needs of at-risk students, school healthcare professionals—including behavioral specialists, special education teachers, counselors, psychologists, and educators—actively reduce the rates of disconnected youth in their communities. Their efforts ensure that all students receive the support they need to make safe choices and thrive both academically and emotionally.
If you’re ready to make a meaningful impact in schools, Soliant offers a variety of job opportunities. Start your journey to transforming communities across the country today.
Methodology
The Best States for Mental Health index aims to evaluate and rank U.S. states based on key indicators that assess mental health outcomes, access to services, and socioeconomic conditions that contribute to or detract from mental health. It uses reputable, publicly available datasets from sources including the CDC and USCB. Each indicator is scored and weighted equally (20%). The final score is calculated by multiplying each indicator’s normalized score by its weight, summing the results to rank states from best to worst.
The following indicators and data sources utilized in the index include:
- Poor Mental Health Days – The average number of “poor mental days” reported in the past 30 days. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).
- Unemployment Rate – Percentage of population ages 16 and older unemployed but seeking work. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
- Disconnected Youth Rate – Percentage of teens and young adults ages 16-24 who are neither working nor in school, therefore at an increased risk of violence, smoking, drug use, and may have emotional deficits and less cognitive and academic skills than their peers who are working and/or in school. Source: U.S. Census Bureau (USCB), American Community Survey (ACS).
- Physical Activity – Percentage of adults who participated in physical activity during the past month. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).
- Access to Healthy Foods – Percentage of the population who are low-income and do not live close to a grocery store. Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS)