As the age-old adage says, money can’t buy happiness. Sure, it helps, but a lot of factors contribute to a person’s day-to-day satisfaction, and a new report dug into several types of data to determine where in the U.S. you’ll find the happiest people.
Personal finance site WalletHub graded 182 of the country’s biggest cities on 29 happiness indicators, broken into three main categories: emotional and physical well-being, income and employment, and community and environment. Within these sections, more specific evaluation points were given different weights based on how much they contribute to a person’s happiness. Some double-weighted factors included depression rate, physical health index, income growth rate, unemployment rate, weekly work hours, and average daily leisure time.
The No. 1 spot, specifically, went to Fremont, California. (Interestingly, five out of 10 of the happiest cities, including the top three, are also in California.)
People in Fremont report the highest life satisfaction and the lowest divorce and separation rates in the country, two metrics that tipped the scale in the city’s favor. Its residents also seem to have their psychological wellness in check, with the lowest number of adults who say they experience 14 or more mentally unhealthy days per month. Another top stat: the city has the highest share of households earning $75,000 or more annually.
“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,” Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, said. “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.”
The complete top 10 list:
Fremont, CaliforniaSan Jose, CaliforniaIrvine, CaliforniaSioux Falls, South DakotaOverland Park, KansasLincoln, NebraskaMadison, WisconsinScottsdale, ArizonaSan FranciscoHuntington Beach, California
If you’re curious where you might not find too many happy-go-lucky people, Cleveland came in dead last, followed by Detroit and Memphis, Tennessee.
See the full report and list at wallethub.com.
