Minnesota: healthy, smart, prosperous ... and fun?

Tired of negative news?

Well, here's some good news you night have missed last month because you were having too much fun: Minnesota, according to WalletHub, is the seventh-ranked most-fun state in the union.

We'll pause to allow your giggling to subside.

Yes, this is a legitimate survey that's apparently done annually. WalletHub, a personal finance website, picked California, Florida and New York as the top three most-fun states this year. The study is intended to reflect how much fun a state is for potential visitors. So it makes sense the top three would be states with notable tourist attractions.

The charms of Minnesota are a bit more low-key. We have no oceans and our climate is regarded by some potential visitors as close to uninhabitable. But if you like fresh air, and enjoy putting up your feet and reading a good book next to a clean lake, Minnesota is the place to be.

According to WalletHub, Minnesota's attractions are actually quite extensive.

When it comes to culture, the state ranks fourth in performing arts theaters per capita and in the variety of arts, entertainment and recreation establishments.

WalletHub ranks Minnesota as 17th in fitness centers per capita. The firm's statisticians apparently didn't notice the entire state is a fitness center. Our state parks, trails and lakes are not just there to look at — they're in use year-round.

Minnesota's worst rankings were in restaurants per capita (23rd) and amusement parks per capita (29th).

If you're wondering how our neighbors fared on the WalletHub list, Wisconsin came in 19th, South Dakota 31st, Iowa 35th and North Dakota 40th. The least-fun state? That title belongs to West Virginia, according to WalletHub.

Generally, we take these studies and surveys with a grain of salt. However, the preponderance of evidence over the years is that Minnesota, by nearly any measurement, offers an enviable quality of life, based on education, income, health care, safety and clean environment.

Oh, and sometimes we even have a little bit of fun.