Buzz
For the past ten years, the World Happiness Report has evaluated nations using criteria such as GDP per capita, social support, life expectancy, freedom to make life decisions, and perceptions of corruption. Finland has consistently ranked first for the last five years. The United States reached its peak position—11th—in 2012, the inaugural year of the report.
Since 2012, the U.S. has consistently ranked in the mid-to-high teens, securing the 16th position in the 2022 report. However, it's important to note that the United States is a vast and diverse nation, making it challenging to generalize the happiness of all its residents and regions.
If you're curious about which U.S. cities are considered the happiest, a recent study has ranked metropolitan areas based on key factors believed to influence happiness. Here’s a closer look at the findings.
What defines a happy city?
WalletHub determined America’s happiest cities by starting with the 150 most populous U.S. cities and including at least two of the largest cities from each state.
This process resulted in a final list of 182 cities, evaluated across three main categories: 1) Emotional and physical health, 2) income and employment opportunities, and 3) community and environmental factors. Their complete methodology is detailed in the report.
America’s happiest cities
Based on the outlined criteria, WalletHub identified the following 10 cities as the happiest in the United States:
1. Fremont, California
2. San Jose, California
3. Madison, Wisconsin
4. Overland Park, Kansas
5. San Francisco, California
6. Irvine, California
7. Columbia, Maryland
8. Sioux Falls, South Dakota
9. South Burlington, Vermont
10. Burlington, Vermont
The complete list of all 182 cities, along with expert analysis on the report’s results, can be found here.
