Posted by: Richie Bernardo

The pursuit of happiness is an unalienable right of all people. The U.S. Declaration of Independence makes that very clear. But as everyone discovers at some point, happiness is not so easy to achieve — unless, perhaps, you’re in a place where it is not only a state of being but also a way of life.

Location indeed plays a hand in our pursuit of such an elusive condition. For years, researchers have studied the science of happiness and found that its key ingredients include a positive mental state, healthy physique, strong social connections, job satisfaction and financial well-being. However, there’s a caveat on that last one: Wealth follows happiness — but only up to an income level of $75,000 a year. Any higher, and money ceases to influence a person’s contentment with life.

As this study aims to illustrate, we can either attain or merely aspire to a happy life, depending on where we choose to live. WalletHub’s data team drew upon the various findings of positive-psychology research in order to determine which among 150 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 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.

1. Main Findings
2. Ask the Experts
3. Methodology

Main Findings

Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/32619/geochart-happiest-cities.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="http://ift.tt/2nlbkaH;  

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	‘Emotional & Physical Well-Being’ Rank	‘Work Environment’ Rank	‘Community & Environment’ Rank
1	Fremont, CA	77.55	2	1	1
2	San Jose, CA	75.79	1	3	15
3	Irvine, CA	70.99	5	9	6
4	San Francisco, CA	69.20	3	2	101
5	Sioux Falls, SD	67.63	10	21	3
6	Huntington Beach, CA	67.32	6	11	45
7	San Diego, CA	65.80	8	7	40
8	Oakland, CA	65.52	4	34	119
9	Santa Rosa, CA	65.29	20	15	23
10	Washington, DC	65.14	13	6	65
11	Chula Vista, CA	64.82	15	27	17
12	Santa Clarita, CA	64.79	17	29	29
13	Scottsdale, AZ	64.61	34	12	2
14	Garden Grove, CA	64.35	11	45	43
15	Madison, WI	64.28	28	13	22
16	Gilbert, AZ	63.87	37	4	9
17	Overland Park, KS	63.86	32	17	20
18	Anaheim, CA	63.48	14	37	62
19	Plano, TX	63.43	30	14	41
20	Glendale, CA	63.43	16	70	27
21	Seattle, WA	63.16	25	5	76
22	Austin, TX	63.01	12	33	74
23	Raleigh, NC	62.88	7	46	81
24	Minneapolis, MN	62.59	9	20	125
25	St. Paul, MN	62.43	19	38	80
26	Lincoln, NE	61.95	31	48	37
27	Oceanside, CA	61.83	18	80	36
28	Chandler, AZ	61.68	39	10	39
29	Aurora, CO	61.41	22	52	63
30	Peoria, AZ	60.86	49	22	8
31	Oxnard, CA	60.56	33	77	13
32	Honolulu, HI	60.35	29	19	108
33	Boise, ID	60.23	48	16	30
34	Grand Prairie, TX	60.22	57	36	4
35	Aurora, IL	59.94	42	62	10
36	Los Angeles, CA	59.91	24	49	97
37	Denver, CO	59.25	27	79	86
38	Tempe, AZ	59.12	44	24	68
39	Durham, NC	59.05	26	50	106
40	Long Beach, CA	59.05	21	95	110
41	Charlotte, NC	59.05	45	96	7
42	El Paso, TX	58.72	35	75	53
43	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	58.69	69	8	51
44	Cape Coral, FL	58.65	43	63	28
45	Santa Ana, CA	58.42	23	72	129
46	Colorado Springs, CO	58.41	65	41	16
47	Garland, TX	57.93	41	60	67
48	Des Moines, IA	57.90	36	91	72
49	Salt Lake City, UT	57.43	46	69	48
50	Irving, TX	57.33	50	31	93
51	Omaha, NE	57.27	47	57	70
52	Yonkers, NY	57.25	38	55	123
53	Mesa, AZ	57.12	52	47	71
54	Fort Worth, TX	57.06	61	88	25
55	Boston, MA	56.93	40	25	126
56	Grand Rapids, MI	56.90	74	39	31
57	Orlando, FL	56.79	54	86	44
58	Virginia Beach, VA	56.32	67	81	33
59	Portland, OR	56.11	81	18	66
60	Port St. Lucie, FL	56.10	73	98	11
61	Anchorage, AK	56.08	55	53	107
62	Fontana, CA	56.03	89	30	24
63	Reno, NV	55.83	68	40	78
64	Riverside, CA	55.78	87	23	60
65	Pembroke Pines, FL	55.58	71	68	57
66	Chesapeake, VA	55.33	90	78	12
67	Jersey City, NJ	55.17	62	61	112
68	Henderson, NV	54.96	102	35	26
69	Arlington, TX	54.95	56	101	87
70	New York, NY	54.66	66	83	89
71	Nashville, TN	54.63	85	99	19
72	San Antonio, TX	54.55	79	71	54
73	Greensboro, NC	54.33	78	87	50
74	Huntsville, AL	54.29	94	89	18
75	Tacoma, WA	54.14	75	53	114
76	Tallahassee, FL	53.97	86	73	55
77	Glendale, AZ	53.93	59	106	109
78	Sacramento, CA	53.90	64	51	128
79	Laredo, TX	53.66	63	116	58
80	Kansas City, MO	53.52	82	65	79
81	Lubbock, TX	53.32	101	32	83
82	Moreno Valley, CA	53.03	95	85	46
83	Atlanta, GA	52.97	51	114	122
84	Tucson, AZ	52.70	72	110	75
85	Phoenix, AZ	52.67	60	115	118
86	Dallas, TX	52.62	53	103	135
87	Chicago, IL	52.57	58	120	116
88	Ontario, CA	52.57	92	64	103
89	Vancouver, WA	52.27	99	42	85
90	Lexington-Fayette, KY	52.11	96	92	61
91	Oklahoma City, OK	51.95	114	74	14
92	Albuquerque, NM	51.77	100	108	32
93	Winston-Salem, NC	51.69	83	112	73
94	Wichita, KS	51.51	91	90	117
95	Columbus, OH	51.47	106	102	38
96	Springfield, MO	51.23	115	28	99
97	Amarillo, TX	51.14	111	76	49
98	Spokane, WA	51.10	108	58	69
99	Pittsburgh, PA	50.67	109	44	102
100	Fort Wayne, IN	50.07	112	43	121
101	Modesto, CA	49.95	110	113	34
102	Brownsville, TX	49.90	84	143	56
103	Miami, FL	49.78	76	100	147
104	Houston, TX	49.77	70	133	131
105	Fort Lauderdale, FL	49.38	80	119	145
106	San Bernardino, CA	49.22	98	124	92
107	Las Vegas, NV	49.06	118	93	91
108	Stockton, CA	48.72	97	128	95
109	Chattanooga, TN	48.69	117	82	104
110	Richmond, VA	48.65	88	118	144
111	North Las Vegas, NV	48.64	128	94	64
112	Fresno, CA	48.43	93	141	98
113	Hialeah, FL	48.31	77	144	138
114	Bakersfield, CA	48.18	124	127	35
115	Newport News, VA	47.98	104	117	124
116	Jacksonville, FL	47.93	125	104	59
117	Providence, RI	47.73	129	59	90
118	Knoxville, TN	47.04	133	97	47
119	Baton Rouge, LA	46.69	123	56	140
120	Tampa, FL	46.65	121	125	88
121	Worcester, MA	46.60	120	84	137
122	St. Petersburg, FL	46.50	130	67	111
123	Milwaukee, WI	46.44	105	130	133
124	New Orleans, LA	46.40	143	107	5
125	Rochester, NY	46.18	103	140	130
126	Indianapolis, IN	45.92	134	123	42
127	Tulsa, OK	45.76	136	66	82
128	Montgomery, AL	45.33	122	137	94
129	Little Rock, AR	45.30	144	26	52
130	Baltimore, MD	45.07	113	121	139
131	Memphis, TN	45.06	119	139	115
132	Louisville, KY	44.95	138	132	21
133	Norfolk, VA	44.46	116	134	136
134	Corpus Christi, TX	44.14	135	109	96
135	Buffalo, NY	43.59	126	131	132
136	Cincinnati, OH	43.34	127	136	127
137	St. Louis, MO	43.06	132	105	142
138	Jackson, MS	42.93	137	111	113
139	Philadelphia, PA	42.77	142	122	77
140	Akron, OH	42.20	131	129	141
141	Newark, NJ	41.16	107	149	150
142	Fayetteville, NC	40.04	141	145	120
143	Shreveport, LA	39.20	148	135	105
144	Mobile, AL	39.03	147	142	100
145	Columbus, GA	38.62	145	147	84
146	Toledo, OH	38.00	146	126	143
147	Birmingham, AL	37.50	139	146	146
148	Augusta, GA	37.00	149	138	134
149	Cleveland, OH	36.80	140	148	148
150	Detroit, MI	27.78	150	150	149

Ask the Experts

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

1. To what extent is the current political climate affecting the happiness of Americans?
2. What tips do you have for someone who is unhappy with his or her career?
3. Does an individual’s happiness increase or decrease with age? With marriage?
4. How much does where you live influence your happiness?
5. Can money buy happiness?
6. Do Americans place too much importance on happiness?

Methodology

In order to determine the happiest cities in America, WalletHub’s analysts compared 150 of the largest cities across three key dimensions: 1) Emotional & Physical Well-Being, 2) Work Environment 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.

We then calculated overall scores for each city based on its weighted average across all metrics and used the resulting scores to construct our final ranking. 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

• Emotional-Health Index: Full Weight (~3.85 Points)Note: This metric measures self-reported effects of
• Life-Satisfaction Index: Full Weight (~3.85 Points)
• Expressions of Happiness: Half Weight (~1.92 Points)Note: This metric uses data from Hedonometer.org, which measures personal expressions of happiness or pleasure on social media.
• Depression Rate: Full Weight (~3.85 Points)
• Suicide Rate: Full Weight (~3.85 Points)
• Adequate-Sleep Rate: Full Weight (~3.85 Points)
• Physical-Health Index: Full Weight (~3.85 Points)
• Sports-Participation Rate: Full Weight (~3.85 Points)
• Obesity Rate: Full Weight (~3.85 Points)
• Binge-Drinking Rate: Half Weight (~3.85 Points)
• Heart-Disease Rate: Half Weight (~1.92 Points)
• Illness & Disability Index: Full Weight (~3.85 Points)
• Life Expectancy: Full Weight (~3.85 Points)
• Food-Insecurity Rate: Full Weight (~3.85 Points)

Income & Employment - Total Points: 25

• Income-Growth Rate: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Share of Households Earning Annual Incomes Above $75,000: Half Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Poverty Rate: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Job Satisfaction: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Job Security: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)Note: This metric measures the probability of unemployment.
• Unemployment Rate: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Number of Weekly Work Hours: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Commute Time: Half Weight (~1.67 Points)

Community & Environment - Total Points: 25

• Strength of Social Ties: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)Note: This metric is based on responses to Sharecare’s RealAge® Test and was used in our report in order to highlight the places where relationships with family and friends are stronger, as living in these places will surely provide an upside on one’s social life as well.
• Population-Growth Rate: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
• Volunteer Rate: Half Weight (~2.08 Points)
• Separation & Divorce Rate: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
• Ideal Weather: Half Weight (~2.08 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 (~2.08 Points)
• Number of Attractions: Half Weight (~2.08 Points)
• Average Leisure Time Spent per Day: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)

 

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Gallup-Healthways, Feeding America, Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, Corporation for National and Community Service, The Trust for Public Land, The MITRE Corporation and University of Vermont Complex Systems Center, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Indeed, TripAdvisor, Sharecare and WalletHub research.

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