California city listed as happiest in new rankings

Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech
·2 min read
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Story at a glance

  • A new WalletHub survey looked at the 182 largest cities in the U.S. to see which places are the happiest.

  • The survey found that Fremont, Calif., just outside of San Fransisco, is the happiest city in the U.S.

  • While different things make different people happy, the survey linked Fremont residents’ annual income, low divorce rate and low depression rates as contributing factors to the city’s happiness level.

Fremont, Calif., is the happiest city in the United States, according to a new WalletHub survey.

There is no one way to define happiness or what causes it, but WalletHub researchers determined that people in the Bay Area city are content, in part, because of income.

According to the survey, about 80 percent of Fremont residents have an annual household income of over $75,000—the most out of the 182 largest cities in the country.

A landmark 2010 study found that increased income is linked to happiness up to a point — $75,000 a year.

“A person living in poverty is, on average, less happy than a person who makes enough money to pay the bills, have adequate health care, save a little, and take the occasional vacation,” said Matthew Joseph, an associate professor at Duquesne University.

“And those in the top 1 percent are, on average, likely a good bit happier than the first person in poverty but only slightly happier (if at all) compared to the second person.”

However, another 2021 study contradicts that study’s findings showing that people continue to report being happier even if their income climbs past this number.

Fremont residents also report high rates of life satisfaction and low rates of depression, the survey found. Most people in the city also, on average, have lived for a long time.

Another factor contributing to Fremont’s happiness level is the city’s low separation and divorce rate. At 8.9 percent it is the lowest in the country.

Fremont residents also “seem to be taking care of themselves psychologically,” according to the survey, since it has the lowest share of adults reporting 14 or more mentally unhealthy days in the past month.

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