The U.S. Declaration of Independence speaks about the “pursuit of happiness” as a universal right Everyone gets joy from different things, whether it’s family, friends, activities, entertainment or work. But what people might not realize is that where you live may also determine how happy you are.
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.
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 28 key indicators of happiness, ranging from depression rate to income-growth rate to average leisure time spent per day. Read on for our findings, methodology and expert commentary from a panel of researchers.
To see which states combine all the necessary components of happiness, check out WalletHub’s report on the Happiest States in America.
| Top 20 Happiest Cities in America | |||||
| 1 | Fremont, CA | 11 | Madison, WI | ||
| 2 | Bismarck, ND | 12 | Columbia, MD | ||
| 3 | San Jose, CA | 13 | San Francisco, CA | ||
| 4 | Pearl City, HI | 14 | Scottsdale, AZ | ||
| 5 | Plano, TX | 15 | Overland Park, KS | ||
| 6 | Fargo, ND | 16 | Santa Clarita, CA | ||
| 7 | Sioux Falls, SD | 17 | Glendale, CA | ||
| 8 | Irvine, CA | 18 | Oakland, CA | ||
| 9 | Huntington Beach, CA | 19 | St. Paul, MN | ||
| 10 | Grand Prairie, TX | 20 | Gilbert, AZ | ||
By: Adam McCann
