Forget Your Troubles and Get Happy: Happiest Cities in America

Location can influence how bright or gloomy our daily lives feel. For decades, researchers have explored the science of happiness and identified several core factors, including mental well-being, physical health, strong social ties, job satisfaction, and financial stability. Still, income has its limits — studies show that earning more than $75,000 a year does not lead to greater happiness. This helps explain why, despite being one of the wealthiest nations in the world, the United States ranks only 24th in the World Happiness Report.

Happiness levels also vary widely across the country. As this study suggests, relocating to the right city may increase overall life satisfaction. To identify where Americans are happiest, WalletHub analyzed more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities using insights from positive-psychology research. Each city was evaluated across 29 key indicators of happiness, including depression rate, income growth, and average daily leisure time.

To see which states combine all the necessary components of happiness, check out WalletHub’s report on the Happiest States in America.

“Research shows that having more money only increases your happiness until you’re making at least $75,000 per year – anything more you earn likely won’t have an impact. Therefore, when deciding where to live to maximize your happiness, you’ll want to pick a city that offers more than just a decent average income. The ideal city provides conditions that foster good mental and physical health, like reasonable work hours, short commutes, good weather, and caring neighbors.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

In-Depth Look at the Happiest Cities

Fremont, CA

Fremont, CA, is the happiest city in America, and one contributing factor is that the city has the highest share of households with an income above $75,000, at nearly 80%. Studies have shown that increasing your income up to $75,000 also increases your happiness, but making more than that does not. Therefore, cities where a lot of people make at least $75,000 per year are more likely to have maximized their happiness. People in Fremont also have the highest rate of life satisfaction, the seventh-lowest depression rate, and the fifth-highest average life expectancy in the country.

Another contributing factor to Fremont’s happiness is the fact that it has the lowest separation and divorce rate in the country, at only 9.3%. It also has the lowest share of adults who report having 14 or more mentally unhealthy days per month, so people in the city seem to be taking care of themselves psychologically.

Finally, Fremont also ranks fifth among the most caring cities in America, and when people care for each other, they boost each other’s happiness. 

Bismarck, ND

The second-happiest city is Bismarck, ND, in part because it has the ninth-highest percentage of adults who report having good or better health, allowing residents to maintain a higher quality of life. It also has the 13th-lowest share of people who sleep less than seven hours per night, meaning families are more well-rested and better equipped to handle daily life with less stress.

In addition, Bismarck has the seventh-highest score on Sharecare’s Community Well-Being Index, which measures how much residents like where they live, feel safe, and take pride in their community. This high ranking reflects a strong sense of satisfaction and connection among residents, contributing to overall quality of life. 

To top things off, Bismarck has the largest average amount of leisure time per day, measured in minutes, allowing residents more opportunities to unwind, spend time with loved ones, and focus on personal interests.

Scottsdale, AZ

Scottsdale, AZ, is the third-happiest city, in large part because its residents are healthy. More than 88% of adults in Scottsdale report having good or better health, the third-highest percentage in the country. In addition, nearly 87% participate in physical activities. 

Scottsdale residents don’t just have good physical health, though – their mental health is also well taken care of. For example, the city has the third-lowest percentage of adults who report having 14 or more mentally unhealthy days per month.

Finally, people in Scottsdale have good incomes, which can also boost their happiness. About 65% of households in the city make over $75,000 per year, the income level that’s been demonstrated to maximize happiness, and just 7% of residents reported incomes below the poverty level in the past 12 months.

Methodology

In order to determine the happiest cities in America, WalletHub compared 182 of the largest cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across three key dimensions: 1) Emotional & Physical Well-Being, 2) Income & Employment and 3) Community & Environment. 

We evaluated these categories using 29 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing maximum happiness. Data for metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were available only at the state level.

We then determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Our analysis draws upon the findings of the following research, each of which has indicated a correlation between our data and happiness:

• Happy People Live Longer: Subjective Well-Being Contributes to Health and Longevity (Chan and Diener, 2010)

• Happiness from Ordinary and Extraordinary Experiences (Bhattacharjee and Mogilner, 2014)
  
• Sports Participation and Happiness: Evidence from U.S. Micro Data (Huang and Humphreys, 2010)

• Unhappy Cities (Glaeser, et al., 2014)