The Happiest Cities in America by Wallethub

Location plays a hand in how bright or gloomy our days are. For years, researchers have studied the science of happiness and found that its key ingredients include a positive mental state, a healthy body, strong social connections, job satisfaction, and financial well-being. However, money can only make you so happy – people who make $75,000 a yearwon’t get any higher satisfaction from more money. Consider also the fact that while the U.S. is one of the richest countries, it ranks only 23rd on the World Happiness Report.

But not everywhere in the U.S. experiences a uniform level of happiness. As this study aims to illustrate, moving to a certain city may help you be more content. WalletHub drew upon the various findings of positive-psychology research in order to determine which among more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities is home to the happiest people in America. We examined each city based on 29 key indicators of happiness, ranging from the depression rate to the income-growth rate to average leisure time spent per day.

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 fifth-lowest depression rate, and the fourth-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 8.9%. 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 sixth among the most caring cities in America, and when people care for each other, they boost each other’s happiness. 

San Jose, CA

The second-happiest city is San Jose, CA, in part because it has the longest average life expectancy in the country, allowing people to enjoy their lives into old age. It also has the fourth-lowest separation and divorce rate, so happy couples can spend their lives together into their golden years, and their kids don’t have to deal with the upheaval.

In addition, San Jose has one of the best scores on the health and wellness company Sharecare’s Community Well-Being Index, which measures how much residents like where they live, feel safe and have pride in their community. It also scores extremely well on Sharecare’s Life-Satisfaction Index, which measures people’s health risks based on various physical, financial and social factors.

To top things off, San Jose has the third-highest share of households whose annual income is above $75,000, at over 72%. This allows people to afford both necessities and some luxuries, keeping them content. 

Irvine, CA

Irvine, CA, is the third-happiest city, in large part because its residents are healthy. More than 88% of adults in Irvine report having good or better health, the third-highest percentage in the country. In addition, nearly 84% participate in physical activities. The city has the seventh-highest life expectancy for residents, too.

Irvine 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, and it has the eighth-lowest depression rate.

Finally, people in Irvine have good incomes, which can also boost their happiness. Nearly 68% of households in the city make over $75,000 per year, the income level that’s been demonstrated to maximize happiness. In addition, marriages in Irvine last better than ones in many other cities, as Irvine has the third-lowest separation and divorce rate in the nation.

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)

Emotional & Physical Well-Being – Total Points: 50

1. Life-Satisfaction Index: Full Weight (~3.17 Points)
2. Depression Rate: Double Weight (~6.35 Points)

3.     Suicide Rate: Full Weight (~3.17 Points)

• Adequate-Sleep Rate: Double Weight (~6.35 Points)
• Physical-Health Index: Double Weight (~6.35 Points)

Note: This metric measures the percentage of adults reporting good or better health.

• Sports-Participation Rate: Double Weight (~6.35 Points)
• Share of People Aged 12 or Older Who Used Marijuana in the Past Month: Half Weight (~1.59 Points)
• Retail Opioid Prescriptions Dispensed per 100 Persons: Quarter Weight (~0.79 Points)
• Share of Adults with Mental Health Not Good: Double Weight (~6.35 Points)

Note: This metric measures the percentage of adults with 14 or more mentally unhealthy days reported in the past month.

10.  Life Expectancy: Full Weight (~3.17 Points)

11.  Food-Insecurity Rate: Double Weight (~6.35 Points)

 

 

Income & Employment – Total Points: 25

1. Income-Growth Rate: Double Weight (~3.13 Points)
2. Share of Households Earning Annual Incomes Above $75,000: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)

14.  Poverty Rate: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)

1. Job Satisfaction: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
2. 4+ Star Job Opportunities per Total People in the Labor Force: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)

Note: This metric measures the number of job opportunities at 4+ star rated companies on Glasssdoor.com per the total people in the labor force.

1. Job Security: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
   Note: This metric measures the probability of unemployment.
2. Unemployment Rate: Double Weight (~3.13 Points)
3. Underemployment Rate: Double Weight (~3.13 Points)
4. Bankruptcy Rate: Double Weight (~3.13 Points)

21.  Weekly Work Hours: Double Weight (~3.13 Points)

22.  Commute Time: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)

Community & Environment – Total Points: 25

• WalletHub’s “Most Caring Cities” Ranking: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Separation & Divorce Rate: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Hate-Crime Incidents per Capita: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Ideal Weather: Half Weight (~1.79 Points)
  Note: This metric uses data from WalletHub’s “Cities with the Best & Worst Weather” ranking.
• Acres of Parkland per 1,000 Residents: Half Weight (~1.79 Points)
• Average Leisure Time Spent per Day*: Double Weight (~7.14 Points)
• Well-Being “Community” Index Score: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
  Note: This metric refers to the “Community” section of the Sharecare Well-Being Index, which refers to “liking where you live, feeling safe and having pride in your community.”