These Are the Happiest Cities in America, According to One Study

Loving where you live doesn’t just stop inside your own four walls. It’s also important that you’re fond of the area that you call home. And while there’s something to love about each and every city, WalletHub has conducted a study to determine the happiest city in America, detailing the many factors that make residents truly happy.

Comparing 182 of the largest cities in the country, 30 different attributes were taken into account in order to rank the happiest cities, including emotional and physical wellbeing, income, crime, weather, and education.

“Some people will honestly be little affected by their surroundings as long as they are doing rewarding work and have the social support they need. That said, most of us are impacted by our surroundings,” Joel T. Nadler, a professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, told WalletHub. “Factors such as weather, social activities, and culture all matter as secondary sources of satisfaction.”

In the study, Fremont, California was determined the happiest city in America in 2022, with a total “happiness score” of 77.13, while Detroit, Michigan took last place with a score of 32.31.

In second place is Columbia, Maryland, which scored 71.64 on the happiness scale. Coming in at third place is San Francisco, California, while San Jose, California and Irvine, California take fourth and fifth place respectively. With four out of five of the top spots, it seems as though a move to The Golden State may be a great option for you if you’re looking to make a fresh start in a new location this year.

In at sixth place is Madison, Wisconsin with 68.10 points, while Seattle, Washington takes seventh place with a score of 67.67. The eighth happiest city is Overland Park, Kanas, but it’s California that rounds out the top ten: Huntington Beach and San Diego are in ninth and tenth place.