It may or may not come as a surprise to learn that the U.S. ranks all the way down in 23rd place on the World Happiness Report. (Finland, Iceland, Denmark, and Sweden take the top spots if you were wondering.) In fact, the U.S. dropped seven spots since 2024's ranking. But it's not all sadness across the country; it may just depend on where you live. According to new data from WalletHub, there's a big different between the most and least happy cities in America. Ahead, we break down the 10 happiest locales, half of which are all in one sunny state. We're also revealing the number-one unhappiest city.
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10. Huntington Beach, California
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Total score: 64.70
Emotional & physical well-being rank: 11
Income & employment rank: 80
Community & environment rank: 39
As explained in the study, "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," they add. These indicators helped inform a score in three key dimensions: 1) Emotional & Physical Well-Being, 2) Income & Employment and 3) Community & Environment.
And of the top 10 happiest cities in America, 5 are in California, starting with Huntington Beach in 10th place.
This city scored exceptionally high in emotional and physical well-being, which included things like adequate sleep rate, mental health, and physical health. And given that Huntington Beach is a warm, beachside city known for its surf culture, is that really unexpected?
9. San Francisco, California
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Total score: 64.96
Emotional & physical well-being rank: 6
Income & employment rank: 68
Community & environment rank: 43
Next up is San Francisco, which ranked even better in emotional and physical well-being.
"The environment where you live can certainly influence your happiness," said Julianne Holt-Lunstad, professor of psychology and neuroscience and Director of the Social Connection & Health Lab at Brigham Young University, in response to the study.
"Features such as the extent of green space (access to nature), how much sunlight you get, congestion of cars and crowds, and the safety and walkability of your community—can all influence happiness," she added.
And if you've ever visited San Francisco, you know that it's very walkable and full of fun outdoor activities.
8. Scottsdale, Arizona
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Total score: 65.17
Emotional & physical well-being rank: 22
Income & employment rank: 10
Community & environment rank: 15
Scottsdale ranked highly for both income and employment as well as community and environment. Of note, Scottsdale tied in fourth place for sports-participation rate (some consider this Arizona city one of the best for golf).
However, what hurt Scottsdale is that it ranked dead last of the 182 cities for number of hours worked.
RELATED: The Most Walkable U.S. Cities in America for Seniors.
7. Madison, Wisconsin
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Total score: 65.83
Emotional & physical well-being rank: 15
Income & employment rank: 24
Community & environment rank: 9
Wisconsin's capital city has seen an influx of young professionals moving in recently, and it looks like it's for good reason.
Madison gets high marks for community and environment, which includes average daily leisure time, amount of park land, hate crime incidents, and weather (okay, maybe that last one didn't help in this case).
6. Lincoln, Nebraska
ShutterstockTotal score: 66.59
Emotional & physical well-being rank: 25
Income & employment rank: 51
Community & environment rank: 1
Lincoln might not be as well known as other cities on this list, but the Nebraska capital comes in at number one for community and environment.
According to VisitTheUSA.com, "The robust college town counts 125 parks within its boundaries. It’s home to a thriving live music scene. Museum and cultural opportunities are plentiful, but not at the expense of sports, which are highly-regarded here in the land of the Huskers."
5. Overland Park, Kansas
31 | Overland Park, KSShutterstockTotal score: 66.93
Emotional & physical well-being rank: 4
Income & employment rank: 59
Community & environment rank: 47
The second Midwestern city in the top 10 is Overland Park, Kansas, the state's second largest city that's just a 20-minute drive from Kansas City.
Overland Park ranks very high for emotional and physical well-being, which could be attributed to its top-performing schools, manicured neighborhoods, wealth of green space, community events, and cultural attractions.
RELATED: The 10 Most Naturally Beautiful States in the U.S., New Data Shows.
4. Sioux Falls, South Dakota
iStockTotal score: 68.66
Emotional & physical well-being rank: 9
Income & employment rank: 53
Community & environment rank: 5
Sioux Falls probably didn't gain its fifth-place ranking for community and environment due to its weather, but come the spring and summer, the outdoor scene in South Dakota's largest city is bustling. Top attractions include Falls Park, which boasts several waterfalls, and the downtown Sculpture Walk.
3. Irvine, California
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Total score: 69.32
Emotional & physical well-being rank: 2
Income & employment rank: 62
Community & environment rank: 14
Part of what landed Irvine in second place for emotional and physical well-being is that it has the third lowest separation and divorce rate. But it's healthy residents really sealed the deal.
"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," states WalletHub.
Irvine also has the eighth-lowest depression rate, and "nearly 68% of households in the city make over $75,000 per year, the income level that’s been demonstrated to maximize happiness," according to the study.
2. San Jose, California
iStockTotal score: 69.34
Emotional & physical well-being rank: 3
Income & employment rank: 45
Community & environment rank: 10
San Jose has the fourth lowest separation and divorce rate, but, perhaps more impressive, "it has the longest average life expectancy in the country," shares WalletHub.
"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," they explain. "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."
And, last but not least, 72%, or the third-largest share, of households have an annual income above $75,000.
1. Fremont, California
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Total score: 73.54
Emotional & physical well-being rank: 1
Income & employment rank: 93
Community & environment rank: 4
In the top spot is Fremont, California, a Bay Area city well known for its history in the early days of filmmaking, proximity to Silicon Valley, and historic Mission architecture.
Fremont has the highest share of households with an income above $75,000 (80%), the lowest separation and divorce rate, the highest rate of life satisfaction, the fifth-lowest depression rate, and the fourth-highest average life expectancy in the country. Sounds good to us!
RELATED: 10 U.S. Cities With the Most Homes Under $200,000, New Data Shows.
The 10 Unhappiest Cities
12 | Cleveland, OhioShutterstockUnfortunately, not all city dwellers are happy. According to WalletHub, these are the 10 unhappiest U.S. cities:
- 173: Mobile, Alabama
- 174: Montgomery, Alabama
- 175: Huntington, West Virginia
- 176: Birmingham, Alabama
- 177: Toledo, Ohio
- 178: Gulfport, Mississippi
- 179: Fort Smith, Arkansas
- 180: Memphis, Tennessee
- 181: Detroit, Michigan
- 182: Cleveland, Ohio
Some key takeaways that landed these cities at the bottom are:
- Huntington, West Virginia has one of the country's highest depression rates
- Cleveland and Detroit rank 178 and 182, respectively, for adequate sleep
- Birmingham, Cleveland, and Detroit have the three highest divorce and separation rates in the nation
- Gulfport, Mississippi has one of the worst rates of income growth in the U.S.
