Top 10 Happiest Cities in the U.S (2024)
Loving where you live extends beyond the confines of your home. It’s also crucial that you love the place you call home. WalletHub has sought to identify the happiest city in America and has outlined the numerous factors that contribute to its residents’ genuine happiness. While there are positive aspects of every city, there’s something to adore about each and every one of them. These are the top ten happiest cities in the United States, according to our analysis of their rankings. Without doubt, these are the best places to have the best experience in the country.
TOP 10 HAPPIEST CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES (2024)
Consider moving to one of these cities if you’re seeking a happy environment to call home.
SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA
Sunnyvale, California, has the highest rankings for wellbeing and quality of life. The majority of residents in the city (62.5%) earn $100,000 or more annually. A little more than 5% of adults in the city live below the poverty line, which is the third-lowest rate nationwide. The fifth-highest marriage rate, at 56.8%, also ranks the city. There are only about 149 violent crimes per 100,000 people in the Sunnyvale area, which is also low.
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA
The second-best city in the United States for happiness is Arlington, Virginia. The city performs best in the first of the three examined areas (personal finances, well-being, and quality of life), yet it places in the top seven overall. Particularly, 48% of people living in Arlington make $100,000 or more each year. Moreover, less than 35% of Arlington households’ median income goes toward living expenses. The least number of bankruptcies are filed in the county where Arlington is situated.
BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON
According to Wallethub research, Bellevue, Washington has the highest standard of living. However, it also performs well in terms of residents’ private money. Particularly, 61% or so of Bellevue’s citizens make $100,000 or more. The citizenry’s poverty rate is less than 8%, which ranks as the eighth-lowest in the world. In contrast, the lowest study-wide percentage of cost of living as a percentage of income (28.69%).
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA
Fremont, California, comes in third place in terms of the percentage of residents earning $100,000 or more. Low living expenses in the city as a percentage of income (32.17%). Additionally, the city is ranked No. 2 for its marriage rate (61.6%) and the proportion of persons who live in poverty (4.9%).
FRISCO, TEXAS
Frisco, Texas carries the number one position for the marriage percentage (62.6%). In addition, 2.5% of the population is considered to live under the poverty line. The city also comes in second place for its normal living expenses relative to median household income (29.55%). The number of violent crimes per 100,000 people in Frisco is approximately 86, making this city is a safe place to live.
PLANO, TEXAS
Texas’s Plano is ranked in the top 20 across six measures by Wallethub. The city’s fourth-highest marriage rate (56.9%) and tenth-lowest violent crime rate are among its most notable statistics. The number of crimes is around 155 per 100,000 people. A little more than one-third of Plano’s residents make $100,000 or more annually. In addition, the average cost of living in the city accounts for 40.43% of household income.
ROSEVILLE, TEXAS
Roseville, California, has the fifth-lowest cost of living overall. This accounts for nearly a third of the average household’s yearly income. The city’s populace earns $100,000 or more in just over 38% of cases (13th-highest). The fourth-lowest rate in the nation, less than 6% of people live below the poverty line, which is a positive statistic. Additionally, Roseville’s county had the 15th-lowest ranking for personal bankruptcy filings across the whole research.
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
The average household income in San Jose, California is $100,000 or more, which ranks as the 10th highest in the nation. The poverty rate is also less than 7.4%, ranking ninth lowest in the nation. Additionally, Santa Clara County, where San Jose is situated, is number two in terms of both the population’s life expectancy and the number of people experiencing poor mental health days (10%).
SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA
Santa Clarita, California is the top city for quality of life. This makes them comes in at number eight happiest cities in the United States. The city has the sixth-lowest percentage of people living in poverty in the US, at less than 7% of the population. Moreover, the local marriage rate is about 53%, ranking them 10th highest. The region is also quite safe, with the seventh-lowest rate of violent crime overall. There are approximately 131 crimes per 100,000 people in Santa Clarita, California.
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA
The happiest cities in America also include Irvine, California. They rank both the percentage of people making $100,000 or more and the amount of income that goes toward living expenses. Also, Irvine has the lowest rate of violent crime in the whole sample. For every 100,000 residents, there are 51 crimes. Aside from that, the county where Irvine is situated ranks No. 10 for both the proportion of citizens reporting poor mental health days and life expectancy (82.8 years).
CONCLUSION
How is “happiness” measured? There are 31 parameters that define a person’s state of happiness, as shown in a WalletHub study. They are divided into three categories: community and environment, income and employment, and mental and physical wellbeing. The emotional and physical aspects receive a 50% weighting, with the other two dimensions each receiving a 25% weighting. Each parameter is scored from 0 to 100, with 100 denoting the state of happiness at its highest.
WalletHub calculated the rolling sum across all 31 variables for each city. This technique was used to rank 182 cities in total. The majority of the cities in the top 50 were in the Midwest or on the west coast. Texas has eight cities while California has fourteen of the top fifty states. The Wallethub analysis demonstrates that a number of things contribute to happiness. This involves having a happy outlook on life, a healthy physique, financial security, a fulfilling job, and solid, supportive relationships with others. This study aims to demonstrate that moving to a different city on the list may also boost happiness.
