Looking for a bit of cheer amid winter's gloom? Some cities offer more of a pick-me-up than others, with a positive outlook, strong community, financial security, and overall health all playing a part in how to achieve that elusive concept of "happiness." WalletHub looked at more than 180 of the nation's most populated cities, using 29 metrics in three main categories: emotional and physical well-being (think depression and suicide rates, life expectancy, and food insecurity rates); income and employment, which looks at rates of poverty and unemployment, as well as commute times and job satisfaction; and community environment (think hate crimes, separation and divorce rates, weather, etc.). The 10 happiest and least happy US cities:
Happiest cities
- Fremont, California (No. 1 in "Emotional & Physical Well-Being" category)
- Overland Park, Kansas
- San Jose, California
- Madison, Wisconsin
- Irvine, California
- Honolulu, Hawaii (No. 1 in "Community & Environment" category)
- San Francisco
- Pearl City, Hawaii
- Columbia, Maryland
- Scottsdale, Arizona
Least happy cities - Akron, Ohio
- Mobile, Alabama
- Jackson, Mississippi
- Toledo, Ohio
- Huntington, West Virginia (last in "Emotional & Physical Well-Being" category)
- Shreveport, Louisiana
- Birmingham, Alabama
- Montgomery, Alabama
- Cleveland (last in "Community & Environment" category)
- Detroit (last in "Income & Employment" category)
See how other cities fared
here. (
These are the US cities that boast the best quality of life.)
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