Thinking about moving? These US cities have the happiest residents right now

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Thinking about moving? These US cities have the happiest residents right now

After a long and exhaustive search, finding the right house is a great accomplishment. Finding the right house, in the right neighborhood, in the right city, however, is a wonderful accomplishment.

Happy neighbors and safe cities can elevate your living situation and help your house feel like a home. To pinpoint which parts of the nation are home to the happiest residents, we analyzed a combination of personal, economic, and community factors to see where people have the most fulfilling lives. Below, Find a Neighborhood explores some of the U.S. cities that topped the list. Let’s dive in.

How Our Team Determined America’s Happiest Cities

This list was compiled with information gathered from a variety of sources—some public agencies, some NGOs—that measured certain wellness metrics. Researchers measured the nation’s 50 most populous cities and their metropolitan areas.

Specifically, scores were assigned based on the following criteria and corresponding data from sources like the U.S. Census, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Sharecare’s Community Well-Being Index:

• Unemployment rate
• Income growth
• Prevalence of Depression Symptoms
• Physical Health
• Caring Index
• Happiness Index
• Well-Being Index

9 US Cities With the Happiest Residents (According to Surveys and Data)

Without further ado, here are the nation’s nine happiest big cities based on the above methodology and research, starting with the happiest.

1. San Diego, California (tie)

Travel due south from Los Angeles along the California coast, and you’ll arrive at San Diego, the city that’s tied with three other American municipalities for the happiest in the U.S.

The researchers crunched the numbers and gave San Diego a wellness score of 12—the lowest among the 50 most populous U.S. cities. It scored well on measurements of physical and mental health, reported happiness of its residents, and the “caring” level. The only weakness of San Diego is its unemployment rate of 5.2%, which is nearly a point higher than the national average of 4.3%.

1. Boston, Massachusetts (tie)

With the historical success of its major sports teams, along with gorgeous sights of the Massachusetts Bay, it’s not hard to see why Boston is one of the country’s happiest cities.

Boston features a stable, strong economy, with an unemployment rate of roughly 4.5%. Housing costs remain one of the few challenges of living in Beantown, but the city’s residents seem to make it work.

1. Minneapolis, Minnesota (tie)

Whoever coined the phrase “Minnesota Nice” must have been thinking about Minneapolis, the state’s largest city.

Its residents reported high levels of physical and mental health, and its unemployment rate of 3.8% comes in at a half-point better than the national average. The only reason Minneapolis didn’t run away with the happiest city competition is its apparent lack of charitable endeavors relative to other large cities, but the city more than holds its own in that area.

4. Raleigh, North Carolina

The only eastern city on the list, Raleigh, has consistently proven to be a top destination for scientists, biomedical professionals, advanced research personnel, and academic elites. Its unemployment rate of 3.2% is the best among the nine cities covered in this piece. The region’s mild winters and exceptional college basketball seem to be keeping residents satisfied and entertained.

5. San Francisco, California (tie)

When you spot the towering international orange arches above shimmering blue waters, you know you’ve arrived at one of the country’s happiest locales (and one of twoCalifornia cities on this list).

A notable drawback to San Francisco is its unemployment rate of 4.9%, which is slightly above the national average but lower than California’s 5.5% average. Furthermore, median household incomes in the city rose by more than 10% in 2024, which outpaced its eight competitors in this article.

5. San Jose, Texas (tie)

San Jose has long had a friendly rivalry with San Francisco for the state’s (and country’s) most affluent area. Because the cities lie so close to each other (roughly 50 miles separate them), San Jose’s economic data often matches San Francisco’s. According to Realtor.com, though, the sales price of the median San Jose home outranked all other metro areas at $2,138,000. San Francisco came in third at $1,426,000.

5. Austin, Texas (tie)

The Lone Star State’s capital and the country’s 13th-most populous.

Although Austin doesn’t have a major professional sports team, residents have no shortage of entertainment options, including many exceptional music concerts and festivals. The Longhorns’ NIL funds also pay out substantial sums to UT’s college athletes, making the city a sought-after destination for amateur sports.

Because the Austin metro area is one of the nation’s fastest-growing, new housing and a rapidly evolving culture are also drawing points for this city.

8. Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha is no longer the sleepy city nestled among corn country near the nation’s geographic center. It’s now America’s 41st most populous city and home to some of the country’s largest financial and insurance firms. Despite its growth, Omahans still enjoy relative isolation from America’s megacities like New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. If not for its subpar health rating from WalletHub, Omaha’s residents would be the nation’s most content.

9. Washington, D.C.

The last (and somewhat surprising) entry on this list of America’s happiest cities is the District of Columbia, home to the nation’s capital.

One might think that being in close proximity to bustling city streets and high-profile political events may create challenges, but the District’s residents don’t seem to mind, as they have plenty of resources to keep up with their physical and mental health. Its unemployment rate of 4% also beats the national average by 0.3 points.

Happiness is Subjective, but Data Offers Clues

Insofar as you can discern the happiness score of American cities, it seems that California, the mid-Atlantic, and a smattering of other regions lay claim to the country’s merriest residents.

Keep in mind that cities change, sometimes dramatically, within just a few years, so it’s always wise to conduct timely research before deciding on your new home. Using a property search tool to zoom in on the cities, neighborhoods, and even individual streets or homes you’re interested in is the best way to understand whether they’ll fit your needs.

Essential metrics like housing prices, crime rates, tax averages, and more can all help you pinpoint the best city for your lifestyle — that is, the city that will make you the happiest, healthiest resident you can be.

This story was produced by Find a Neighborhood and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.