If your sense of well-being has been on edge lately, it’s not just you—it’s all of America.
Gallup’s annual World Happiness Report was just released, and for the first time in its 12-year history, the United States did not earn a spot among the top 20 of the happiest countries.
Since this latest report separates respondents by age for the first time, it also pinpointed that Americans under 30 are particularly down in the dumps these days. But old folks are doing just fine, with the U.S. still making Gallup’s 10 happiest countries for the 60-and-older set.
As usual, Finland reigned as the merriest country of all for the seventh year straight—but not for those under 30 or over 60. Those honors went to Lithuania and Denmark respectively, proving that age as well as location can heavily affect your outlook.
The happiest places in America
While this Gallup poll might come as sobering news to Americans—at least those of us who have a long way to go until our golden years—the glass-half-full perspective is that this is a big country. Peace of mind can vary greatly from place to place, and another recent poll reveals where these bright spots within the U.S. are hiding.
According to WalletHub, the happiest place to live for Americans is Fremont, CA. One large reason for this might boil down to money: This city has the highest percentage of households (nearly 80%) with incomes over $75,000. Studies have shown that happiness increases with income up to this threshold, but not beyond, making $75,000 the “sweet spot” that satisfies one’s needs.
“Money can buy happiness to a certain degree because a stable income is essential for a person’s physical and mental wellbeing,” notes WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe in her analysis. “However, plenty of other factors affect happiness as well, and the happiest cities combine economic security with kind communities and conditions that are conducive to low depression rates and high life satisfaction.”
Overland Park, KS, took second place due in large part to its low poverty and unemployment rates, whileSan Jose, CA, came in third due to its long life spans, low divorce rates, and community pride.
All of this suggests that as much as we think happiness is simply a state of mind, circ*mstances such as where you live really can make a difference.
In case you’re curious if your own city made the list or are even up for moving to a place bursting with happy vibes, check out the 10 happiest U.S. cities below—plus data on how much you’ll pay to buy a home in these areas.
The happiest cities in America
- Fremont, CA
Median home list price: $1.35M - Overland Park, KS
Median home list price: $662,820 - San Jose, CA
Median home list price: $1.2M - Madison, WI
Median home list price: $434,900 - Irvine, CA
Median home list price: $1.6M - Honolulu, HI
Median home list price: $670,000 - San Francisco, CA
Median home list price: $1.21M - Pearl City, HI
Median home list price: $862,500 - Columbia, MD
Median home list price: $457,000 - Scottsdale, AZ
Median home list price: $1.1M
Fun bonus: In case you’re eager to see if your surroundings are dragging you down, we’ve included the 10 least happy cities in WalletHub’s analysis of the 180 largest cities in the U.S.
The unhappiest cities in America
Judy Dutton is executive editor at Realtor.com covering news and advice about personal finance, homebuying, selling, decorating, and all things real estate. You can reach her at [email protected].
