Are Californians happier than Middle Georgia residents? This study says yes.

Chelsea Madden
·2 min read
1

Moving out of the South could have a positive effect on Middle Georgians. According to a recent study by Wallethub, the 10 cities with the happiest residents in the country do not have a country accent.

Wallethub measured the level of happiness in 180 of the country’s largest cities. The cities found that the happiest cities in America are cities in California and Wisconsin.

The results aren’t all sad for Georgia. WalletHub ranked Atlanta the 97th happiest city, which is far ahead of Columbus. Columbus is ranked as the 174th happiest city of the 180 reviewed. Additionally, Augusta, Georgia ranked 176.

Here are the 10 happiest cities in the U.S.

  1. Fremont, California

  2. San Jose, California

  3. Madison, Wisconsin

  4. Overland Park, Kansas

  5. San Francisco, California

  6. Irvine, California

  7. Columbia, Maryland

  8. Sioux Falls, South Dakota

  9. South Burlington, Vermont

  10. Burlington, Vermont

How were these rankings determined?

WalletHub looked at three categories to find the happiest large cities in the country: (1) Emotional & Physical Well-Being, (2) Income & Employment and (3) Community & Environment.

Here’s a breakdown of each category:

  • Emotional & physical well-being includes depression and suicide rates, sleep rates, physical health index and life expectancy.

  • Income & employment covers household annual income, job security, poverty rate, job satisfaction, unemployment rates and work hours.

  • Community & environment envelops separation and divorce rates, crime rates, weather, hate-crime incidents and average leisure time.

So, how does where you live influence happiness?

Here’s what the experts say:

“Some places are just happiness-inducing places, with lots of sunlight, nature and culture,” said Stacey N. Doan, associate professor of psychological science at Claremont McKenna College. “However, recent research also suggests that it is not about the place, but the match between the place and who you are as a person. If your values are more in line with the values of the culture of that town, or neighborhood, you are more likely to be happy.”

Many people think that money buys happiness and where you live is just a small factor, but that is not always the case.

“Money does not so much buy happiness as it buys freedom from unhappiness and stress. You can solve a lot of problems and daily hassles by throwing money at them,” said Sherry Hamby, a psychology professor at the University of the South.

“For happiness, it is far more important to have a strong sense of purpose and to find some way to give back than it is to be rich,” Hamby said.

To Hamby, your address and bank account are not as important as family and personal influences. But, a vibrant city leads to vibrant residents. She said, “Places with more resources - whether these are natural resources like beaches and mountains, cultural resources like museums and theaters, or essential resources like health care and transportation - tend to have happier people than other places.”

See the full study online.

Do you agree with this study? Comment below to share your thoughts or email me at cmadden@mcclatchy.com