Happiest Cities in America (2025)

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial WriterMar 11, 2025

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial Writer
Mar 11, 2025

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 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

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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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	73.54	1	93	4
2	San Jose, CA	69.34	3	45	10
3	Irvine, CA	69.32	2	62	14
4	Sioux Falls, SD	68.66	9	53	5
5	Overland Park, KS	66.93	4	59	47
6	Lincoln, NE	66.59	25	51	1
7	Madison, WI	65.83	15	24	9
8	Scottsdale, AZ	65.17	22	10	15
9	San Francisco, CA	64.96	6	68	43
10	Huntington Beach, CA	64.70	11	80	39
11	Bismarck, ND	64.34	10	30	84
12	Omaha, NE	64.34	36	89	2
13	Seattle, WA	64.13	5	4	135
14	Charleston, SC	63.93	20	9	48
15	San Diego, CA	63.79	21	27	23
16	Columbia, MD	63.45	7	162	83
17	Plano, TX	62.78	13	66	51
18	Honolulu, HI	62.47	26	52	29
19	South Burlington, VT	62.47	8	7	174
20	Garden Grove, CA	62.36	32	61	13
21	Nashua, NH	61.99	50	105	3
22	Raleigh, NC	61.59	16	88	60
23	Burlington, VT	61.36	27	1	152
24	Portland, ME	61.22	30	6	94
25	Pearl City, HI	61.20	14	144	112
26	Gilbert, AZ	61.20	33	26	38
27	Chula Vista, CA	61.17	35	77	22
28	Fargo, ND	60.85	24	32	107
29	Durham, NC	60.51	28	28	75
30	Anaheim, CA	60.42	38	70	32
31	Santa Clarita, CA	60.15	31	145	28
32	Santa Rosa, CA	60.11	47	38	35
33	Rapid City, SD	60.05	66	21	11
34	Minneapolis, MN	59.87	18	36	127
35	Oakland, CA	59.87	19	120	76
36	Jersey City, NJ	59.82	17	154	67
37	Cedar Rapids, IA	59.73	48	126	12
38	Glendale, CA	59.66	41	121	26
39	Pembroke Pines, FL	59.53	37	147	27
40	Chandler, AZ	59.47	43	43	49
41	Yonkers, NY	59.28	23	141	90
42	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	59.28	56	79	24
43	Oceanside, CA	59.12	39	104	58
44	Chesapeake, VA	58.95	55	86	31
45	Boston, MA	58.91	40	18	97
46	Fort Lauderdale, FL	58.74	46	78	54
47	Manchester, NH	58.60	77	81	6
48	Santa Ana, CA	58.50	68	23	33
49	Aurora, IL	58.50	34	155	40
50	Cape Coral, FL	58.27	72	83	8
51	Boise, ID	58.16	51	8	114
52	Charlotte, NC	58.08	42	102	61
53	Cheyenne, WY	58.08	73	39	25
54	Washington, DC	58.05	12	94	173
55	Grand Rapids, MI	57.65	83	19	19
56	Missoula, MT	57.42	62	16	109
57	Juneau, AK	57.42	29	35	178
58	Anchorage, AK	57.01	63	71	63
59	Austin, TX	56.94	44	22	142
60	Virginia Beach, VA	56.90	59	92	57
61	Pittsburgh, PA	56.64	80	12	56
62	Warwick, RI	56.52	57	129	59
63	Oxnard, CA	56.33	79	122	16
64	Peoria, AZ	56.07	67	91	70
65	Des Moines, IA	55.89	70	112	45
66	Orlando, FL	55.82	78	5	102
67	Nampa, ID	55.57	75	20	111
68	New York, NY	55.52	54	156	64
69	St. Petersburg, FL	55.29	82	25	69
70	Tampa, FL	55.24	87	46	46
71	Tempe, AZ	55.18	61	17	167
72	Fontana, CA	55.09	99	72	17
73	Port St. Lucie, FL	54.86	96	49	36
74	Atlanta, GA	54.81	58	90	129
75	Portland, OR	54.76	49	96	148
76	Riverside, CA	54.62	88	41	65
77	Los Angeles, CA	54.49	71	107	81
78	St. Paul, MN	54.45	60	127	113
79	Colorado Springs, CO	54.30	81	60	77
80	Casper, WY	54.08	116	84	7
81	Irving, TX	54.02	76	69	106
82	Miami, FL	54.01	74	13	151
83	Mesa, AZ	53.98	84	40	93
84	Worcester, MA	53.98	90	99	53
85	Salt Lake City, UT	53.89	65	37	169
86	Ontario, CA	53.86	108	65	30
87	Long Beach, CA	53.61	69	148	87
88	Aurora, CO	53.60	52	158	140
89	Moreno Valley, CA	53.59	104	110	20
90	Providence, RI	53.51	120	11	52
91	Bridgeport, CT	53.38	86	170	18
92	Sacramento, CA	53.31	91	31	110
93	Chicago, IL	53.03	53	179	99
94	Henderson, NV	52.88	92	128	55
95	Billings, MT	52.88	101	56	86
96	Denver, CO	52.76	45	136	171
97	New Haven, CT	52.74	126	47	34
98	Tallahassee, FL	52.59	111	33	78
99	Albuquerque, NM	52.40	89	64	120
100	Vancouver, WA	52.26	64	117	172
101	Garland, TX	52.16	93	115	85
102	Columbia, SC	51.90	107	67	80
103	Modesto, CA	51.66	122	74	50
104	Reno, NV	51.53	103	44	116
105	Hialeah, FL	51.53	94	101	104
106	Phoenix, AZ	51.13	97	85	128
107	Wilmington, DE	51.10	102	125	92
108	Huntsville, AL	51.02	124	48	91
109	Las Cruces, NM	50.89	129	42	72
110	Winston-Salem, NC	50.70	105	108	96
111	West Valley City, UT	50.70	114	58	123
112	Stockton, CA	50.61	110	103	95
113	Grand Prairie, TX	50.44	106	146	82
114	Lexington-Fayette, KY	50.43	98	151	101
115	Tacoma, WA	50.22	85	133	161
116	Greensboro, NC	50.08	100	109	138
117	Oklahoma City, OK	49.32	145	130	21
118	Nashville, TN	49.25	133	113	74
119	Jacksonville, FL	49.17	139	123	41
120	Glendale, AZ	49.14	115	97	131
121	Kansas City, MO	48.90	113	134	124
122	Spokane, WA	48.81	135	14	150
123	Columbus, OH	48.77	127	157	73
124	Dallas, TX	48.74	95	119	163
125	Fort Worth, TX	48.49	121	138	117
126	Fresno, CA	48.33	134	73	115
127	Bakersfield, CA	48.00	137	135	68
128	Arlington, TX	47.93	118	137	136
129	Newport News, VA	47.92	123	143	139
130	Fort Wayne, IN	47.80	132	153	89
131	Milwaukee, WI	47.78	125	163	103
132	Wichita, KS	47.76	119	118	149
133	Richmond, VA	47.38	109	150	162
134	Salem, OR	47.31	117	87	177
135	San Bernardino, CA	47.23	149	76	79
136	Rochester, NY	47.12	136	95	145
137	Lewiston, ME	46.75	163	2	134
138	Newark, NJ	46.67	112	174	143
139	New Orleans, LA	46.61	148	106	88
140	Philadelphia, PA	46.42	140	114	122
141	Norfolk, VA	46.33	130	131	153
142	Tulsa, OK	46.12	167	82	37
143	Dover, DE	45.72	142	116	141
144	Springfield, MO	45.70	165	63	62
145	North Las Vegas, NV	45.62	151	160	66
146	Las Vegas, NV	45.40	140	159	118
147	Indianapolis, IN	45.28	138	173	98
148	Louisville, KY	45.20	131	177	126
149	Chattanooga, TN	44.88	160	124	71
150	Fayetteville, NC	44.74	152	132	119
151	Houston, TX	44.67	128	152	170
152	Laredo, TX	44.62	164	3	155
153	Buffalo, NY	44.53	143	100	164
154	Cincinnati, OH	44.33	156	140	108
155	Lubbock, TX	44.14	147	54	168
156	Amarillo, TX	44.08	157	98	133
157	Charleston, WV	43.93	171	15	132
158	El Paso, TX	43.90	150	139	144
159	Knoxville, TN	43.52	172	50	100
160	Little Rock, AR	43.05	153	149	154
161	Tucson, AZ	42.42	159	75	165
162	Baltimore, MD	42.31	144	172	158
163	St. Louis, MO	42.14	146	168	156
164	San Antonio, TX	42.05	154	111	175
165	Columbus, GA	41.92	162	161	125
166	Baton Rouge, LA	41.71	169	142	121
167	Corpus Christi, TX	41.48	168	55	166
168	Shreveport, LA	40.77	173	178	42
169	Akron, OH	40.02	174	164	105
170	Brownsville, TX	39.51	179	57	130
171	Augusta, GA	39.32	161	167	176
172	Jackson, MS	39.16	155	180	180
173	Mobile, AL	39.11	170	176	137
174	Montgomery, AL	38.49	158	175	181
175	Huntington, WV	37.84	182	29	44
176	Birmingham, AL	37.29	166	171	179
177	Toledo, OH	36.30	180	165	146
178	Gulfport, MS	35.89	178	169	147
179	Fort Smith, AR	35.61	181	34	157
180	Memphis, TN	34.88	175	182	160
181	Detroit, MI	34.18	177	181	159
182	Cleveland, OH	34.01	176	166	182

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Depression Rate

Lowest

Lowest
1. Pearl City, HI
2. Honolulu, HI
3. Jersey City, NJ
4. Newark, NJ
5. Fremont, CA

Highest

Highest
178. Chattanooga, TN
179. Spokane, WA
180. Lewiston, ME
181. Huntington, WV
182. Knoxville, TN

Adequate-Sleep Rate

Highest

Highest
1. South Burlington, VT
2. Burlington, VT
3. Missoula, MT
4. Portland, OR
5. Denver, CO

Lowest

Lowest
178. Cleveland, OH
179. Newark, NJ
180. Pearl City, HI
181. Honolulu, HI
182. Detroit, MI

Sports-Participation Rate

Highest

Highest
1. Seattle, WA
2. South Burlington, VT
3. Washington, DC
T-4. Scottsdale, AZ
T-4. Fremont, CA

Lowest

Lowest
178. Hialeah, FL
179. Fort Smith, AR
180. Newark, NJ
181. Laredo, TX
182. Brownsville, TX

Suicide Rate

Lowest

Lowest
1. Newark, NJ
2. Jersey City, NJ
3. Boston, MA
4. Washington, DC
5. New York, NY

Highest

Highest
178. Billings, MT
T-179. Reno, NV
T-179. Colorado Springs, CO
T-179. Juneau, AK
T-179. Missoula, MT

Work Hours

Fewest

Fewest
1. Burlington, VT
2. Huntington, WV
3. Tallahassee, FL
4. New Haven, CT
5. Bridgeport, CT

Most

Most
T-177. Fayetteville, NC
T-177. Cheyenne, WY
T-180. Dallas, TX
T-180. Casper, WY
182. Scottsdale, AZ

Income Growth

Highest

Highest
1. Miami, FL
2. Hialeah, FL
3. Providence, RI
4. Nampa, ID
5. Oakland, CA

Lowest

Lowest
178. Anchorage, AK
179. Gulfport, MS
180. Dover, DE
181. Casper, WY
182. Juneau, AK

Separation & Divorce Rate

Lowest

Lowest
1. Fremont, CA
2. Pearl City, HI
3. Irvine, CA
4. San Jose, CA
5. Gilbert, AZ

Highest

Highest
178. Wilmington, DE
179. Rochester, NY
180. Birmingham, AL
181. Cleveland, OH
182. Detroit, MI

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.

Ask the Experts

Many factors can affect a person’s happiness. For additional insight, we asked a panel of experts for their thoughts on the following key questions:

What tips do you have for someone who is unhappy with their career?
Does an individual’s happiness increase or decrease with age?
How much and in what ways does where you live influence your happiness?
Can money buy happiness?
Does the overall economic climate of a city affect individual happiness?

Ask the Experts

Rachel Wu
Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Department of Psychology – University of California, Riverside
Read More

Julianne Holt-Lunstad
Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and Director of the Social Connection & Health Lab – Brigham Young University
Read More

Matthew J. Grawitch
Ph.D. – Director, Strategic Research, School for Professional Studies – Saint Louis University
Read More

Lily Corley
Assistant Director of Career Development at Lipscomb University
Read More

Dr. Tammy Manko
Director, Career and Professional Development Center, Academic Affairs – Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Read More

Dr. Matthew Joseph
Associate Professor and Counseling Program Director, School of Education – Duquesne University
Read More

More Experts

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

Life-Satisfaction Index: Full Weight (~3.17 Points)
Depression Rate: Double Weight (~6.35 Points)
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.
Life Expectancy: Full Weight (~3.17 Points)
Food-Insecurity Rate: Double Weight (~6.35 Points)

Income & Employment - Total Points: 25

Income-Growth Rate: Double Weight (~3.13 Points)
Share of Households Earning Annual Incomes Above $75,000: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Poverty Rate: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Job Satisfaction: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
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.
Job Security: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Note: This metric measures the probability of unemployment.
Unemployment Rate: Double Weight (~3.13 Points)
Underemployment Rate: Double Weight (~3.13 Points)
Bankruptcy Rate: Double Weight (~3.13 Points)
Weekly Work Hours: Double Weight (~3.13 Points)
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.”

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of January 2, 2025 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Sharecare Community Well-Being Index, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Feeding America, Chmura Economics & Analytics, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, The Trust for Public Land, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Glassdoor.com, Indeed and WalletHub research.

Supporting Video Files:

Questions & Answers(4 questions)

Editorial and user-generated content on this page is not reviewed or otherwise endorsed by any financial institution. Please keep in mind that it is not a financial institution’s responsibility to ensure all posts and questions are answered.

Upvotes

what about Santa Barbara California?

Upvotes

What about Sammamish, Wa, Snoqualmie, Wa? Have lived in OC, Irvine doesnt compare. Born and raised in California

Upvotes

Is $75,000 annual income as a guideline still valid? That's a study done in 2010

David Carter

It would be difficult renting a two bedroom apartment in Los Angeles with a pretax income of $75000.00 a year. To get a mortgage on a median priced home here requires a household income over double that - almost $170,000.00 per year.

Upvotes

What about Marin County California

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