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, 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 year won’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 15th 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.
“Money can buy happiness to a certain degree because a stable income is essential for a person’s physical and mental wellbeing. However, plenty of other factors affect happiness as well, and the happiest cities combine economic security with kind communities and conditions that are conducive to low depression rates and high life satisfaction.”
Cassandra Happe, WalletHub Analyst
Table of Contents
Main Findings
Happiest Cities in the U.S.
Overall Rank
City
Total Score
Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank
Income & Employment Rank
Community & Environment Rank
1
Fremont, CA
74.16
1
85
3
2
Overland Park, KS
69.78
6
36
6
3
San Jose, CA
69.54
2
33
37
4
Madison, WI
68.99
7
17
9
5
Irvine, CA
68.22
4
26
24
6
Honolulu, HI
68.03
19
40
1
7
San Francisco, CA
67.01
3
81
30
8
Pearl City, HI
66.90
15
151
2
9
Columbia, MD
65.77
5
170
60
10
Scottsdale, AZ
65.26
27
72
4
11
Sioux Falls, SD
65.06
10
57
47
12
Huntington Beach, CA
64.28
13
77
53
13
Minneapolis, MN
63.98
17
22
57
14
Garden Grove, CA
63.91
24
52
15
15
San Diego, CA
63.75
20
43
19
16
Fargo, ND
63.68
11
20
134
17
Portland, ME
63.46
43
3
27
18
Seattle, WA
63.39
8
14
128
19
Lincoln, NE
63.35
21
27
43
20
Bismarck, ND
63.23
12
11
149
21
Gilbert, AZ
62.99
40
44
7
22
Charleston, SC
62.53
45
15
18
23
South Burlington, VT
62.42
16
30
139
24
Glendale, CA
62.31
32
92
13
25
Anaheim, CA
62.28
26
55
36
26
Oakland, CA
62.24
14
104
77
27
Chula Vista, CA
61.75
25
87
28
28
Raleigh, NC
61.73
9
126
99
29
Santa Rosa, CA
61.48
28
34
50
30
Santa Clarita, CA
61.40
23
122
49
31
Boise, ID
61.35
34
5
76
32
Oxnard, CA
61.31
36
94
16
33
Chandler, AZ
60.90
50
84
17
34
Oceanside, CA
60.50
31
102
41
35
Plano, TX
60.47
35
93
39
36
Rapid City, SD
60.19
58
19
54
37
Aurora, IL
60.04
29
149
33
38
Anchorage, AK
59.89
62
78
14
39
Yonkers, NY
59.88
22
147
87
40
Chesapeake, VA
59.77
61
103
12
41
Omaha, NE
59.71
42
60
66
42
Virginia Beach, VA
59.62
44
106
44
43
Santa Ana, CA
59.45
53
13
89
44
St. Paul, MN
59.40
37
110
59
45
Cedar Rapids, IA
59.36
60
82
34
46
Tempe, AZ
59.34
64
32
32
47
Peoria, AZ
58.86
65
128
8
48
Pembroke Pines, FL
58.79
48
160
26
49
Juneau, AK
58.73
45
56
112
50
Washington, DC
58.69
18
117
144
51
Cape Coral, FL
58.54
70
101
11
52
Fort Lauderdale, FL
58.51
59
74
68
53
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
58.47
67
67
35
54
Burlington, VT
58.35
54
4
165
55
Jersey City, NJ
58.01
33
167
64
56
Charlotte, NC
57.90
30
134
102
57
Durham, NC
57.88
41
69
109
58
Boston, MA
57.71
39
7
161
59
Nampa, ID
57.62
72
16
86
60
Aurora, CO
57.60
38
150
78
61
Long Beach, CA
57.59
51
109
92
62
Tampa, FL
57.49
69
46
63
63
Sacramento, CA
57.47
55
21
138
64
Los Angeles, CA
57.33
49
86
116
65
Nashua, NH
57.26
75
68
38
66
Austin, TX
57.06
47
88
126
67
Portland, OR
56.74
57
63
125
68
Riverside, CA
56.69
71
38
84
69
Moreno Valley, CA
56.65
81
99
23
70
Missoula, MT
56.44
85
37
46
71
Mesa, AZ
56.21
83
83
42
72
Des Moines, IA
56.13
66
113
79
73
Denver, CO
56.09
52
121
130
74
Orlando, FL
55.99
68
39
117
75
Colorado Springs, CO
55.75
91
45
40
76
Port St. Lucie, FL
55.50
97
71
20
77
Salt Lake City, UT
55.45
77
31
123
78
Fontana, CA
55.45
95
73
21
79
Pittsburgh, PA
55.36
88
10
91
80
St. Petersburg, FL
55.34
78
53
90
81
Ontario, CA
55.24
96
62
31
82
Billings, MT
55.09
105
35
25
83
Chicago, IL
54.80
56
179
83
84
Miami, FL
54.77
73
23
151
85
Grand Rapids, MI
54.63
100
42
52
86
New York, NY
54.49
63
174
73
87
Phoenix, AZ
54.14
86
115
69
88
Manchester, NH
53.99
99
50
75
89
Tacoma, WA
53.96
80
123
103
90
Wilmington, DE
53.71
126
124
5
91
Modesto, CA
53.60
103
66
65
92
West Valley City, UT
53.25
107
51
74
93
Atlanta, GA
53.23
76
90
143
94
Hialeah, FL
52.91
79
132
119
95
Columbia, SC
52.89
122
28
48
96
Cheyenne, WY
52.63
87
24
164
97
Worcester, MA
52.58
92
41
150
98
Tallahassee, FL
52.54
109
48
98
99
Glendale, AZ
52.44
93
133
81
100
Vancouver, WA
52.34
74
97
174
101
Reno, NV
52.16
106
29
122
102
Providence, RI
52.11
118
2
170
103
Lexington-Fayette, KY
52.01
110
120
70
104
Irving, TX
51.93
98
111
108
105
Bridgeport, CT
51.84
82
180
72
106
Jacksonville, FL
51.76
115
135
51
107
Nashville, TN
51.72
119
118
58
108
Milwaukee, WI
51.55
89
157
101
109
Grand Prairie, TX
51.25
112
154
55
110
Garland, TX
50.87
113
139
82
111
Stockton, CA
50.85
90
112
142
112
Fresno, CA
50.75
115
80
118
113
Newport News, VA
50.50
102
153
114
114
New Haven, CT
50.47
128
49
110
115
Henderson, NV
50.43
108
158
85
116
Las Cruces, NM
50.19
121
75
133
117
Fort Worth, TX
49.90
117
144
105
118
Wichita, KS
49.86
124
108
94
119
Warwick, RI
49.79
84
107
181
120
Greensboro, NC
49.25
101
96
162
121
Arlington, TX
49.23
111
143
135
122
Fort Wayne, IN
49.12
127
137
93
123
Bakersfield, CA
48.92
131
129
96
124
Spokane, WA
48.88
134
8
145
125
Winston-Salem, NC
48.84
123
98
132
126
Newark, NJ
48.82
104
175
120
127
San Bernardino, CA
48.43
138
79
97
128
Kansas City, MO
48.39
125
131
129
129
Albuquerque, NM
48.32
132
69
141
130
Dover, DE
48.30
157
127
10
131
Norfolk, VA
48.25
129
125
127
132
Dallas, TX
48.07
114
138
158
133
Lewiston, ME
47.72
176
1
29
134
Houston, TX
47.40
94
168
172
135
Columbus, OH
47.40
130
140
136
136
Huntsville, AL
47.39
159
61
62
137
Richmond, VA
47.27
120
159
157
138
Chattanooga, TN
47.14
150
116
45
139
Tucson, AZ
46.70
147
89
115
140
Louisville, KY
46.61
143
163
71
141
Oklahoma City, OK
46.56
148
155
61
142
El Paso, TX
46.43
133
141
131
143
Little Rock, AR
46.40
142
152
100
144
Indianapolis, IN
46.39
136
169
88
145
Brownsville, TX
46.38
154
59
113
146
Cincinnati, OH
45.95
145
119
124
147
Amarillo, TX
45.86
153
91
111
148
Rochester, NY
45.75
141
76
173
149
Knoxville, TN
45.71
169
25
56
150
Laredo, TX
45.52
160
6
153
151
Buffalo, NY
45.47
140
105
160
152
Las Vegas, NV
45.38
135
171
121
153
Casper, WY
45.21
144
100
168
154
Springfield, MO
45.16
165
65
80
155
North Las Vegas, NV
44.95
146
176
95
156
New Orleans, LA
44.87
152
58
154
157
Tulsa, OK
44.86
162
95
104
158
Corpus Christi, TX
44.55
151
64
156
159
Salem, OR
44.10
137
54
179
160
Baltimore, MD
43.78
139
165
163
161
Philadelphia, PA
43.57
156
136
137
162
Charleston, WV
43.26
178
12
67
163
Lubbock, TX
43.17
164
47
155
164
St. Louis, MO
42.99
149
166
147
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