(© Daniel - stock.adobe.com)
Cleveland, Detroit, Memphis round out bottom three of WalletHub’s annual study
MIAMI — Want to live somewhere that could make you happier? Where you live might matter more than you’d guess. WalletHub just released their annual study showing which cities have the happiest residents, and California towns are dominating the list.
Fremont, California tops the list as America’s happiest city in 2025, with San Jose and Irvine completing a California sweep of the top three spots. The findings looked at 29 different factors across 182 of the largest U.S. cities. You can find the complete list at the end of the article.
“Research shows that having more money only increases your happiness until you’re making at least $75,000 per year – anything more you earn likely won’t have an impact,” notes Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst, in a statement. “Therefore, when deciding where to live to maximize your happiness, you’ll want to pick a city that offers more than just a decent average income. The ideal city provides conditions that foster good mental and physical health, like reasonable work hours, short commutes, good weather, and caring neighbors.”
Why California Towns Are So Darn Happy
What’s Fremont got that other cities don’t? Money helps: nearly 80% of households there make over $75,000 a year, more than anywhere else in the study. Past that magic number, extra cash doesn’t seem to make people much happier, so most Fremont folks have hit the financial sweet spot.
But there’s more to it than fat paychecks. People in Fremont say they’re more satisfied with life than residents of any other city. They have the fifth-lowest depression rate in America and live longer than people in most other cities (fourth-highest life expectancy). Marriages last longer there too. Only 8.9% end in divorce, the lowest rate nationwide. And fewer Fremont residents report struggling with their mental health for long periods.
Fremont Central Park’s beautiful Lake Elizabeth at sunset. (© Olga – stock.adobe.com)
San Jose, in second place, boasts the nation’s longest average life expectancy. The city ranks high on measures of community well-being, with residents reporting they feel safe and proud of where they live. Like Fremont, San Jose has strong household incomes, with 72% of households earning above $75,000 yearly.
Irvine completes the top three with impressive health statistics—88% of adults report good or better health (third-highest nationwide), and nearly 84% stay active with regular physical activities. The city has the seventh-highest life expectancy, the third-lowest rate of poor mental health days, and the eighth-lowest depression rate. With 68% of households earning above $75,000 annually and the third-lowest divorce rate nationally, Irvine shows how physical health, mental wellbeing, and financial stability all contribute to happiness.
Top 10 Happiest Cities Span the Country
While California cities claim four of the top ten spots (Fremont, San Jose, Irvine, and Huntington Beach), the Midwest makes a strong showing as well.
Sioux Falls, South Dakota (4th) and Overland Park, Kansas (5th) prove that heartland cities can create environments where people thrive. Lincoln, Nebraska (6th) and Madison, Wisconsin (7th) add to the Midwest’s strong presence in the rankings.
Scottsdale, Arizona (8th) represents the Southwest in the top tier, while San Francisco (9th) adds another California city to the elite group.
Overland Park, Kansas placed fifth on the list of happiest cities. (credit: Levi Trimmer on Unsplash)
What Makes People Happy in These Cities?
The WalletHub study spotted some trends in places where people report being happiest. Cities with fewer cases of depression, residents who sleep well, healthy people, and neighbors who look out for each other tend to score higher on the happiness scale.
Pearl City, Hawaii has the lowest depression rate in the nation—half that of Knoxville, Tennessee, which ranked worst in this category. When it comes to getting enough sleep, South Burlington, Vermont leads the country with rates twice as high as Detroit, Michigan, which came in last.
Money matters too, but in a specific way. Cities where more households earn above $75,000 tend to score better across multiple happiness measures. Job satisfaction, employment opportunities, and job security also play major roles in overall happiness.
“Money influences happiness only to a certain extent,” Professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad of Brigham Young University tells WalletHub. “Having enough to meet basic needs is important but additional money beyond that doesn’t bring additional happiness. One of the strongest predictors of happiness is not success or wealth but rather your social relationships. Social connection is consistently rated as the top contributor to overall happiness.”
Many factors, including walkable neighborhoods, healthcare, and green spaces play a key role in feeling happy where you live. (Photo by Erce on Shutterstock)
Other things that seem to matter include how many divorces happen in a city, whether hate crimes are common, if there are parks nearby, and whether people have free time to enjoy themselves. Cities that WalletHub previously named as “Most Caring” also tend to be happier places to live. It turns out being surrounded by kind neighbors might actually make you happier.
“The environment where you live can certainly influence your happiness,” says Holt-Lunstad. “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. Feeling safe is important. Cultural or local norms can also influence happiness.”
Where People Are Happiest (and Not)
The map of happiness shows some clear patterns. People in Western and Midwestern cities tend to be happier than those in Southern cities and old industrial towns, though you’ll find exceptions everywhere.
At the very bottom of the list sits Cleveland, Ohio (182nd), with Detroit, Michigan (181st) and Memphis, Tennessee (180th) not far behind. These cities scored poorly in all three categories WalletHub looked at—how people feel physically and emotionally, jobs and money issues, and community life.
Even within states, there are big differences. While California dominates the top rankings, cities like Stockton (112th) and San Bernardino (135th) score much lower, showing that happiness can vary widely even within the same state.
What City Planners Can Learn
City planners and local officials could learn a thing or two from these results. The happiest cities tend to have neighborhoods where you can walk places, parks and natural areas, active community groups, and enough good jobs so people can make at least $75,000 a year.
The huge difference between the happiest and unhappiest cities shows that improving mental health services, building stronger communities, creating better jobs, and making neighborhoods safer could help boost the mood in cities at the bottom of the list.
“The financial and economic stability of a city can influence how secure individuals may feel. With stability comes the ability to take chances, explore opportunities, and contribute to the community,” explains Holt-Lunstad. “With an economic safety net people can feel more secure pursuing opportunities such as education, entrepreneurial opportunities, and service that can not only benefit the individual but also have a ripple effect to benefit the community.”
It’s worth noting that mid-sized cities like Fremont, Sioux Falls, and Overland Park perform exceptionally well, perhaps offering more manageable models for balancing economic opportunity, community connection, and quality of life than larger metropolitan areas.
Methodology
The WalletHub study compared 182 cities—including the 150 most populated U.S. cities plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state—across three key dimensions: Emotional & Physical Well-Being (50 points), Income & Employment (25 points), and Community & Environment (25 points).
These dimensions were evaluated using 29 metrics, each graded on a 100-point scale with 100 representing maximum happiness. Metrics included depression rate, suicide rate, adequate-sleep rate, physical health, sports participation, marijuana use, opioid prescriptions, mental health ratings, life expectancy, food insecurity, income growth, household income, poverty rate, job satisfaction, job opportunities, job security, unemployment rate, underemployment rate, bankruptcy rate, work hours, commute time, divorce rates, hate crime incidents, weather conditions, parkland acreage, leisure time, and community well-being scores.
The analysis drew upon data from numerous sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Sharecare Community Well-Being Index, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Feeding America, Chmura Economics & Analytics, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, The Trust for Public Land, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Glassdoor.com, Indeed, and WalletHub’s own research. All data was collected as of January 2, 2025.
Full List: Happiest Cities in the U.S.
Overall Rank City Total Score Emotional & Physical Well-Being Rank Income & Employment Rank Community & Environment Rank
1 Fremont, CA 73.54 1 93 4
2 San Jose, CA 69.34 3 45 10
3 Irvine, CA 69.32 2 62 14
4 Sioux Falls, SD 68.66 9 53 5
5 Overland Park, KS 66.93 4 59 47
6 Lincoln, NE 66.59 25 51 1
7 Madison, WI 65.83 15 24 9
8 Scottsdale, AZ 65.17 22 10 15
9 San Francisco, CA 64.96 6 68 43
10 Huntington Beach, CA 64.70 11 80 39
11 Bismarck, ND 64.34 10 30 84
12 Omaha, NE 64.34 36 89 2
13 Seattle, WA 64.13 5 4 135
14 Charleston, SC 63.93 20 9 48
15 San Diego, CA 63.79 21 27 23
16 Columbia, MD 63.45 7 162 83
17 Plano, TX 62.78 13 66 51
18 Honolulu, HI 62.47 26 52 29
19 South Burlington, VT 62.47 8 7 174
20 Garden Grove, CA 62.36 32 61 13
21 Nashua, NH 61.99 50 105 3
22 Raleigh, NC 61.59 16 88 60
23 Burlington, VT 61.36 27 1 152
24 Portland, ME 61.22 30 6 94
25 Pearl City, HI 61.20 14 144 112
26 Gilbert, AZ 61.20 33 26 38
27 Chula Vista, CA 61.17 35 77 22
28 Fargo, ND 60.85 24 32 107
29 Durham, NC 60.51 28 28 75
30 Anaheim, CA 60.42 38 70 32
31 Santa Clarita, CA 60.15 31 145 28
32 Santa Rosa, CA 60.11 47 38 35
33 Rapid City, SD 60.05 66 21 11
34 Minneapolis, MN 59.87 18 36 127
35 Oakland, CA 59.87 19 120 76
36 Jersey City, NJ 59.82 17 154 67
37 Cedar Rapids, IA 59.73 48 126 12
38 Glendale, CA 59.66 41 121 26
39 Pembroke Pines, FL 59.53 37 147 27
40 Chandler, AZ 59.47 43 43 49
41 Yonkers, NY 59.28 23 141 90
42 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 59.28 56 79 24
43 Oceanside, CA 59.12 39 104 58
44 Chesapeake, VA 58.95 55 86 31
45 Boston, MA 58.91 40 18 97
46 Fort Lauderdale, FL 58.74 46 78 54
47 Manchester, NH 58.60 77 81 6
48 Santa Ana, CA 58.50 68 23 33
49 Aurora, IL 58.50 34 155 40
50 Cape Coral, FL 58.27 72 83 8
51 Boise, ID 58.16 51 8 114
52 Charlotte, NC 58.08 42 102 61
53 Cheyenne, WY 58.08 73 39 25
54 Washington, DC 58.05 12 94 173
55 Grand Rapids, MI 57.65 83 19 19
56 Missoula, MT 57.42 62 16 109
57 Juneau, AK 57.42 29 35 178
58 Anchorage, AK 57.01 63 71 63
59 Austin, TX 56.94 44 22 142
60 Virginia Beach, VA 56.90 59 92 57
61 Pittsburgh, PA 56.64 80 12 56
62 Warwick, RI 56.52 57 129 59
63 Oxnard, CA 56.33 79 122 16
64 Peoria, AZ 56.07 67 91 70
65 Des Moines, IA 55.89 70 112 45
66 Orlando, FL 55.82 78 5 102
67 Nampa, ID 55.57 75 20 111
68 New York, NY 55.52 54 156 64
69 St. Petersburg, FL 55.29 82 25 69
70 Tampa, FL 55.24 87 46 46
71 Tempe, AZ 55.18 61 17 167
72 Fontana, CA 55.09 99 72 17
73 Port St. Lucie, FL 54.86 96 49 36
74 Atlanta, GA 54.81 58 90 129
75 Portland, OR 54.76 49 96 148
76 Riverside, CA 54.62 88 41 65
77 Los Angeles, CA 54.49 71 107 81
78 St. Paul, MN 54.45 60 127 113
79 Colorado Springs, CO 54.30 81 60 77
80 Casper, WY 54.08 116 84 7
81 Irving, TX 54.02 76 69 106
82 Miami, FL 54.01 74 13 151
83 Mesa, AZ 53.98 84 40 93
84 Worcester, MA 53.98 90 99 53
85 Salt Lake City, UT 53.89 65 37 169
86 Ontario, CA 53.86 108 65 30
87 Long Beach, CA 53.61 69 148 87
88 Aurora, CO 53.60 52 158 140
89 Moreno Valley, CA 53.59 104 110 20
90 Providence, RI 53.51 120 11 52
91 Bridgeport, CT 53.38 86 170 18
92 Sacramento, CA 53.31 91 31 110
93 Chicago, IL 53.03 53 179 99
94 Henderson, NV 52.88 92 128 55
95 Billings, MT 52.88 101 56 86
96 Denver, CO 52.76 45 136 171
97 New Haven, CT 52.74 126 47 34
98 Tallahassee, FL 52.59 111 33 78
99 Albuquerque, NM 52.40 89 64 120
100 Vancouver, WA 52.26 64 117 172
101 Garland, TX 52.16 93 115 85
102 Columbia, SC 51.90 107 67 80
103 Modesto, CA 51.66 122 74 50
104 Reno, NV 51.53 103 44 116
105 Hialeah, FL 51.53 94 101 104
106 Phoenix, AZ 51.13 97 85 128
107 Wilmington, DE 51.10 102 125 92
108 Huntsville, AL 51.02 124 48 91
109 Las Cruces, NM 50.89 129 42 72
110 Winston-Salem, NC 50.70 105 108 96
111 West Valley City, UT 50.70 114 58 123
112 Stockton, CA 50.61 110 103 95
113 Grand Prairie, TX 50.44 106 146 82
114 Lexington-Fayette, KY 50.43 98 151 101
115 Tacoma, WA 50.22 85 133 161
116 Greensboro, NC 50.08 100 109 138
117 Oklahoma City, OK 49.32 145 130 21
118 Nashville, TN 49.25 133 113 74
119 Jacksonville, FL 49.17 139 123 41
120 Glendale, AZ 49.14 115 97 131
121 Kansas City, MO 48.90 113 134 124
122 Spokane, WA 48.81 135 14 150
123 Columbus, OH 48.77 127 157 73
124 Dallas, TX 48.74 95 119 163
125 Fort Worth, TX 48.49 121 138 117
126 Fresno, CA 48.33 134 73 115
127 Bakersfield, CA 48.00 137 135 68
128 Arlington, TX 47.93 118 137 136
129 Newport News, VA 47.92 123 143 139
130 Fort Wayne, IN 47.80 132 153 89
131 Milwaukee, WI 47.78 125 163 103
132 Wichita, KS 47.76 119 118 149
133 Richmond, VA 47.38 109 150 162
134 Salem, OR 47.31 117 87 177
135 San Bernardino, CA 47.23 149 76 79
136 Rochester, NY 47.12 136 95 145
137 Lewiston, ME 46.75 163 2 134
138 Newark, NJ 46.67 112 174 143
139 New Orleans, LA 46.61 148 106 88
140 Philadelphia, PA 46.42 140 114 122
141 Norfolk, VA 46.33 130 131 153
142 Tulsa, OK 46.12 167 82 37
143 Dover, DE 45.72 142 116 141
144 Springfield, MO 45.70 165 63 62
145 North Las Vegas, NV 45.62 151 160 66
146 Las Vegas, NV 45.40 140 159 118
147 Indianapolis, IN 45.28 138 173 98
148 Louisville, KY 45.20 131 177 126
149 Chattanooga, TN 44.88 160 124 71
150 Fayetteville, NC 44.74 152 132 119
151 Houston, TX 44.67 128 152 170
152 Laredo, TX 44.62 164 3 155
153 Buffalo, NY 44.53 143 100 164
154 Cincinnati, OH 44.33 156 140 108
155 Lubbock, TX 44.14 147 54 168
156 Amarillo, TX 44.08 157 98 133
157 Charleston, WV 43.93 171 15 132
158 El Paso, TX 43.90 150 139 144
159 Knoxville, TN 43.52 172 50 100
160 Little Rock, AR 43.05 153 149 154
161 Tucson, AZ 42.42 159 75 165
162 Baltimore, MD 42.31 144 172 158
163 St. Louis, MO 42.14 146 168 156
164 San Antonio, TX 42.05 154 111 175
165 Columbus, GA 41.92 162 161 125
166 Baton Rouge, LA 41.71 169 142 121
167 Corpus Christi, TX 41.48 168 55 166
168 Shreveport, LA 40.77 173 178 42
169 Akron, OH 40.02 174 164 105
170 Brownsville, TX 39.51 179 57 130
171 Augusta, GA 39.32 161 167 176
172 Jackson, MS 39.16 155 180 180
173 Mobile, AL 39.11 170 176 137
174 Montgomery, AL 38.49 158 175 181
175 Huntington, WV 37.84 182 29 44
176 Birmingham, AL 37.29 166 171 179
177 Toledo, OH 36.30 180 165 146
178 Gulfport, MS 35.89 178 169 147
179 Fort Smith, AR 35.61 181 34 157
180 Memphis, TN 34.88 175 182 160
181 Detroit, MI 34.18 177 181 159
182 Cleveland, OH 34.01 176 166 182
Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category. Credit: WalletHub