Happiest Places to Live in America in 2024. Does Your City Rank?

Where are the happiest places to live in the United States and what determines that happiness? And for the places that are less happy, what's causing that overall lack of joy. A new report looks to answer those questions and the results may surprise you.

Happiness is contagious. Even Lucille Ball noted, “It’s a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy.” Maybe it’s a healthy body, a new job, financial well-being or simply where you live. And although the U.S. is one of the richest countries in the world, it ranks only 15th on the World Happiness Report.

WalletHub’s new 2024 report, Happiest States in America, examined each city based on 29 key indicators for happiness — from depression and income, to average leisure time spent each day — to determine the happiest places to live in the U.S. 

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We’ve listed the top (and bottom) 25.  Don’t find your city listed here? Read the full report from WalletHub. 

Happiest places to live in the U.S.

Least happiest places to live in the U.S.

What determines how happy a city is?

WalletHub also looked at depression rates in cities across the U.S., which can lead to more or less happiness. In first place for the lowest depression rate was Pearl City, HI, followed closely by Honolulu, HI. Cities with the highest depression rate were Huntington, WV, and Lewiston, ME. 

What role does lack of sleep play in happiness?

Like depression rates, lack of sleep can also lead to unhappiness. Cities with the highest sleep rates are South Burlington, VT and Madison, WI. On the other hand, the cities with minimal sleep rates include Cleveland, OH, and Detroit, MI.

Read the full report from WalletHub. 

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