2022’s Happiest Cities in America

Adam McCann, Financial WriterMar 1, 2022

Adam McCann, Financial Writer
Mar 1, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a third of Americans to be so stressed that they sometimes find it hard to make basic decisions. Therefore, it’s vital for people to boost their happiness however they can, whether through family, friends, activities, entertainment or work. What people might not realize is that where they live may also determine how happy they 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. Consider also the fact that while the U.S. is one of the richest countries, it ranks only 14th 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 30 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.

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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Happiest Cities in the U.S.

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	Emotional & Physical Well-Being	Income & Employment	Community & Environment
1	Fremont, CA	77.13	1	46	2
2	Columbia, MD	71.64	3	161	5
3	San Francisco, CA	71.15	4	1	44
4	San Jose, CA	71.00	2	6	55
5	Irvine, CA	70.38	5	16	12
6	Madison, WI	68.10	10	11	19
7	Seattle, WA	67.67	6	2	99
8	Overland Park, KS	67.46	12	54	13
9	Huntington Beach, CA	66.43	9	51	43
10	San Diego, CA	65.82	14	18	25
11	Fargo, ND	65.46	22	24	23
12	Minneapolis, MN	65.09	8	20	80
13	Bismarck, ND	64.65	48	32	4
14	Santa Rosa, CA	64.52	13	22	105
15	Santa Clarita, CA	64.44	15	100	29
16	Oakland, CA	64.35	7	105	87
17	Sioux Falls, SD	64.34	20	74	27
18	Glendale, CA	64.05	31	91	11
19	Scottsdale, AZ	63.78	50	43	6
20	Anaheim, CA	63.72	25	75	33
21	Aurora, IL	63.60	21	144	8
22	Plano, TX	63.33	37	48	24
23	Oxnard, CA	63.29	26	132	10
24	Garden Grove, CA	63.15	24	80	52
25	Chula Vista, CA	63.01	17	113	30
26	Charleston, SC	62.76	53	3	31
27	Raleigh, NC	62.35	23	71	63
28	Honolulu, HI	62.24	44	72	21
29	Cedar Rapids, IA	62.22	38	83	40
30	Austin, TX	62.04	35	5	109
31	Portland, ME	61.96	28	10	150
32	Pearl City, HI	61.78	36	148	22
33	Oceanside, CA	61.72	30	110	53
34	Gilbert, AZ	61.72	55	34	17
35	Lincoln, NE	61.10	27	67	104
36	Boston, MA	61.07	43	15	89
37	South Burlington, VT	60.65	11	56	181
38	Santa Ana, CA	60.62	45	31	86
39	Pembroke Pines, FL	60.59	51	125	15
40	Burlington, VT	60.32	34	9	170
41	Portland, OR	60.31	49	21	88
42	Aurora, CO	60.15	19	154	69
43	Jersey City, NJ	59.74	40	170	20
44	Yonkers, NY	59.69	18	163	102
45	Chandler, AZ	59.62	58	60	38
46	St. Paul, MN	59.54	33	96	121
47	Omaha, NE	59.48	52	79	56
48	Juneau, AK	59.27	32	14	179
49	Sacramento, CA	59.27	64	30	49
50	Cheyenne, WY	59.05	101	47	3
51	Virginia Beach, VA	58.90	62	120	18
52	Peoria, AZ	58.84	72	58	16
53	Tempe, AZ	58.79	71	17	50
54	Los Angeles, CA	58.70	39	85	128
55	Salt Lake City, UT	58.58	57	33	116
56	Chicago, IL	58.43	47	166	46
57	Denver, CO	58.41	16	134	153
58	New York, NY	58.35	46	164	51
59	Anchorage, AK	58.18	60	102	54
60	Long Beach, CA	58.13	41	142	101
61	Nashua, NH	58.11	68	104	35
62	Boise, ID	58.09	59	13	119
63	Cape Coral, FL	58.05	89	45	9
64	Colorado Springs, CO	57.74	63	97	59
65	Pittsburgh, PA	57.72	80	29	41
66	Fort Lauderdale, FL	57.65	67	84	62
67	Charlotte, NC	57.61	61	78	68
68	Bridgeport, CT	57.34	42	165	91
69	Chesapeake, VA	57.32	81	145	7
70	Warwick, RI	57.19	69	62	90
71	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	57.13	83	36	48
72	Rapid City, SD	57.12	76	27	76
73	Missoula, MT	57.12	88	40	28
74	Durham, NC	56.92	54	69	123
75	Miami, FL	56.78	56	52	142
76	Des Moines, IA	56.65	70	68	81
77	Columbia, SC	56.62	108	4	37
78	Reno, NV	56.13	65	37	143
79	Casper, WY	55.76	127	123	1
80	Tampa, FL	55.62	94	38	60
81	West Valley City, UT	55.50	78	82	85
82	Tacoma, WA	55.50	75	98	93
83	Grand Prairie, TX	55.08	98	89	42
84	Vancouver, WA	55.08	73	49	147
85	Washington, DC	55.05	29	57	182
86	Port St. Lucie, FL	55.03	115	65	14
87	Mesa, AZ	55.01	86	77	64
88	Providence, RI	54.84	113	25	47
89	Irving, TX	54.73	85	55	98
90	Manchester, NH	54.66	84	129	57
91	Orlando, FL	54.59	96	19	108
92	Grand Rapids, MI	54.32	104	53	66
93	Atlanta, GA	54.27	79	87	115
94	Hialeah, FL	54.20	66	157	110
95	Tallahassee, FL	54.16	130	8	45
96	Ontario, CA	53.97	119	64	32
97	Garland, TX	53.82	92	108	67
98	Henderson, NV	53.72	87	143	58
99	Fontana, CA	53.44	118	95	34
100	St. Petersburg, FL	53.39	100	35	134
101	Modesto, CA	53.21	112	42	92
102	Moreno Valley, CA	53.11	120	116	26
103	Fort Worth, TX	52.85	97	124	83
104	Riverside, CA	52.84	107	28	125
105	Billings, MT	52.51	122	26	107
106	Spokane, WA	52.17	126	7	129
107	Arlington, TX	52.14	93	122	118
108	Glendale, AZ	51.84	106	112	114
109	Nashville, TN	51.83	117	107	74
110	Worcester, MA	51.69	95	139	126
111	Dallas, TX	51.50	90	93	154
112	Houston, TX	51.41	74	140	164
113	Norfolk, VA	50.85	102	167	96
114	Milwaukee, WI	50.76	103	152	113
115	Laredo, TX	50.64	105	50	165
115	Wilmington, DE	50.64	125	126	77
117	Tucson, AZ	50.60	114	66	148
118	New Haven, CT	50.58	77	115	178
119	Phoenix, AZ	50.39	91	106	169
120	El Paso, TX	50.31	109	130	132
121	Albuquerque, NM	50.31	82	101	176
122	Stockton, CA	50.15	99	150	137
123	Fresno, CA	50.10	123	86	136
124	Nampa, ID	50.06	145	99	39
125	Brownsville, TX	50.05	133	73	122
126	Bakersfield, CA	49.98	132	103	100
127	Jacksonville, FL	49.89	147	109	36
128	Las Cruces, NM	49.74	110	118	156
129	Winston-Salem, NC	49.43	138	94	97
130	San Antonio, TX	49.31	116	88	160
131	Rochester, NY	48.96	131	114	139
132	Newark, NJ	48.75	111	182	73
133	Las Vegas, NV	48.61	124	169	95
134	Columbus, OH	48.28	128	138	145
135	North Las Vegas, NV	48.21	135	175	61
136	Buffalo, NY	48.20	121	136	157
137	Greensboro, NC	48.12	129	70	167
138	Lexington-Fayette, KY	47.90	134	121	144
139	Corpus Christi, TX	47.54	137	62	159
140	Huntsville, AL	46.79	152	119	79
141	Philadelphia, PA	46.78	148	146	75
141	Wichita, KS	46.78	143	127	130
143	Amarillo, TX	46.75	159	76	70
144	Lewiston, ME	46.71	166	12	78
145	Salem, OR	46.39	144	41	175
146	Newport News, VA	46.38	141	174	72
147	New Orleans, LA	46.35	146	111	146
148	Oklahoma City, OK	46.32	155	135	82
149	Baltimore, MD	45.97	142	178	84
150	Richmond, VA	45.97	136	176	133
151	Dover, DE	45.74	151	92	155
152	Kansas City, MO	45.61	140	128	166
153	San Bernardino, CA	45.36	149	137	140
154	Cincinnati, OH	45.15	139	147	163
155	Fort Wayne, IN	45.00	154	149	117
156	Springfield, MO	44.95	167	44	103
157	Lubbock, TX	44.89	157	23	168
158	Baton Rouge, LA	44.37	156	90	152
159	Louisville, KY	44.10	158	151	111
160	Indianapolis, IN	43.70	150	177	131
161	St. Louis, MO	43.68	153	160	149
162	Tulsa, OK	43.35	163	117	138
163	Little Rock, AR	43.25	164	133	106
164	Knoxville, TN	43.10	169	59	94
165	Akron, OH	42.29	162	168	112
166	Chattanooga, TN	42.24	165	141	120
167	Columbus, GA	40.90	177	131	65
168	Fayetteville, NC	40.83	161	155	171
169	Jackson, MS	40.60	160	159	174
170	Birmingham, AL	39.54	168	158	162
171	Toledo, OH	39.17	172	171	127
172	Charleston, WV	39.13	173	81	173
173	Shreveport, LA	39.01	175	173	71
174	Mobile, AL	38.94	171	172	124
175	Fort Smith, AR	37.45	180	61	158
176	Augusta, GA	36.64	178	162	135
177	Cleveland, OH	36.52	170	156	180
178	Montgomery, AL	35.54	174	180	161
179	Huntington, WV	35.53	182	39	141
180	Memphis, TN	34.86	176	181	172
181	Gulfport, MS	34.71	181	153	151
182	Detroit, MI	32.31	179	179	177

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.

artwork 2022 happy cities

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 does where you live influence your happiness?
Can money buy happiness?
What advice do you have for people dealing with the pandemic blues?

Ask the Experts

Joel T. Nadler
Ph.D. – Professor SIUE Industrial/Organizational Master's Program; Organization Consultant; Midwestern Psychological Association Fellow; Department of Psychology – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
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Jay Caughron
Ph.D. – Full Professor of Psychology, College of Humanities & Behavioral Sciences – Radford University
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Kristie Campana
Associate Professor; Director of the Graduate Program in I/O Psychology – College of Social and Behavioral Sciences – Minnesota State University, Mankato
Read More

Michael J. Poulin
Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences – University at Buffalo
Read More

Alyssa Westring
Vincent de Paul Professor of Management, Driehaus College of Business – DePaul University and Author of Parents Who Lead: Parent with Purpose, Fuel Your Career, and Create a Richer Life
Read More

Chip Espinoza
Ph.D. – Interim Provost, Dean of Strategy & Innovation – Vanguard University of Southern California
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 30 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 (~2.82 Points)
Depression Rate: Double Weight (~5.63 Points)
Suicide Rate: Full Weight (~2.82 Points)
Adequate-Sleep Rate: Double Weight (~5.63 Points)
Physical-Health Index: Double Weight (~5.63 Points)
Note: This metric measures the percentage of adults reporting good or better health.
Sports-Participation Rate: Double Weight (~5.63 Points)
Share of People Aged 12 or Older Who Used Marijuana in the Past Month: Half Weight (~1.41 Points)
Retail Opioid Prescriptions Dispensed per 100 Persons: Quarter Weight (~0.70 Points)
Share of Adults with Mental Health Not Good: Double Weight (~5.63 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 (~2.82 Points)
Food-Insecurity Rate: Double Weight (~5.63 Points)
Percentage of Residents Who Are Fully Vaccinated: Double Weight (~5.63 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 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Sharecare-Boston University School of Public Health, 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(6 questions)

California cities happy places? Really? This report does not reflect reality. I've been in RE for more than 25 years, people are leaving.

Upvote

Happiest cities in America? You got to be kidding!the whole panel full of liberals. surveys in Florida found people are very very happy!

Upvote

How can Minneapolis be on this list for being number 12? I lived their in the early 80's and the police were better in the community

Upvote

how is your weighting scheme determined?

Upvote

does this study incliude metropolitan area data or city only data

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Housing for individuals

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