These Are the 20 Happiest Cities in America — See If Your Town Made the List

Disneyland may call itself the “happiest place on Earth,” but it didn’t make the cut on a recent list of the top 20 happiest cities in America. 

OK, we know the amusement park isn’t technically a city, but its location in Anaheim, CA, didn’t rank high either. A few of its neighbors did, though. In fact, California might be the happiest state in the US, according to data shared by researchers at WalletHub. It’s home to five of the top 20 happiest cities in America — more than any other state. Apparently, all that sunshine really does help keep people in a good mood!

That said, there are plenty of other climates that made the list from across the country, too. The researchers came to their conclusions after analyzing psychology reports from more than 180 large cities across the country. They measured their findings using 31 “key indicators of happiness,” including depression rate, income-growth, and average daily leisure time.

Take a look to see if you live in one of the top 20 happiest cities in America:

1. Fremont, CA
2. Bismarck, ND
3. Fargo, ND             
4. Madison, WI
5. San Jose, CA
6. South Burlington, VT 
7. Lincoln, NE             
8. Columbia, MD
9. Cedar Rapids, IA
10. Santa Rosa, CA
11. Sioux Falls, SD
12. Irvine, CA
13. San Francisco, CA
14. Pearl City, HI
15. Burlington, VT
16. Minneapolis, MN
17. Plano, TX
18. Charleston, SC
19. Rapid City, SD
20. Seattle, WA

See, even rainy Seattle can boast about having more happy people than other cities across the country! 

Of course, we’re sure there are countless places that didn’t make this short list which are perfectly wonderful areas to live, too. In fact, you might find your hometown on the full list of 182 cities in WalletHub’s research. There’s also some fascinating info on which locations have higher or lower rates for things like adequate sleep and participating in sports activities.

And in any case, lists like this are just a little fun. We all know we can make our homes the real “happiest place on Earth” regardless of where they happen to be located!