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WalletHub has released the findings on the Happiest Cities in the United States for 2022. Below is a list of the top cities and the methodology behind the research findings.
This year, Charleston, South Carolina came in as the 26th Happiest City in the U.S. The only other South Carolina city to make the list was Columbia, SC at #77.
Check out below to find out why.
Methodology
In order to determine the happiest cities in America, WalletHub compared 182 of the largest cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across three key dimensions: 1) Emotional & Physical Well-Being, 2) Income & Employment and 3) Community & Environment.
We evaluated these categories using 30 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing maximum happiness. Data for metrics marked with an asterisk (*) were available only at the state level.
We then determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.
Our analysis draws upon the findings of the following research, each of which has indicated a correlation between our data and happiness:
- Happy People Live Longer: Subjective Well-Being Contributes to Health and Longevity (Chan and Diener, 2010)
- Happiness from Ordinary and Extraordinary Experiences (Bhattacharjee and Mogilner, 2014)
- Sports Participation and Happiness: Evidence from U.S. Micro Data (Huang and Humphreys, 2010)
- Unhappy Cities (Glaeser, et al., 2014)
Emotional & Physical Well-Being – Total Points: 50
- Life-Satisfaction Index: Full Weight (~2.82 Points)
- Depression Rate: Double Weight (~5.63 Points)
- Suicide Rate: Full Weight (~2.82 Points)
- Adequate-Sleep Rate: Double Weight (~5.63 Points)
- Physical-Health Index: Double Weight (~5.63 Points)
Note: This metric measures the percentage of adults reporting good or better health. - Sports-Participation Rate: Double Weight (~5.63 Points)
- Share of People Aged 12 or Older Who Used Marijuana in the Past Month: Half Weight (~1.41 Points)
- Retail Opioid Prescriptions Dispensed per 100 Persons: Quarter Weight (~0.70 Points)
- Share of Adults with Mental Health Not Good: Double Weight (~5.63 Points)
Note: This metric measures the percentage of adults with 14 or more mentally unhealthy days reported in the past month. - Life Expectancy: Full Weight (~2.82 Points)
- Food-Insecurity Rate: Double Weight (~5.63 Points)
- Percentage of Residents Who Are Fully Vaccinated: Double Weight (~5.63 Points)
Income & Employment – Total Points: 25
- Income-Growth Rate: Double Weight (~3.13 Points)
- Share of Households Earning Annual Incomes Above $75,000: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
- Poverty Rate: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
- Job Satisfaction: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
- 4+ Star Job Opportunities per Total People in the Labor Force: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of job opportunities at 4+ star rated companies on Glasssdoor.com per the total people in the labor force. - Job Security: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Note This metric measures the probability of unemployment. - Unemployment Rate: Double Weight (~3.13 Points)
- Underemployment Rate: Double Weight (~3.13 Points)
- Bankruptcy Rate: Double Weight (~3.13 Points)
- Weekly Work Hours: Double Weight (~3.13 Points)
- Commute Time: Full Weight (~1.56 Points)
Community & Environment – Total Points: 25
- WalletHub’s “Most Caring Cities” Ranking: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
- Separation & Divorce Rate: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
- Hate-Crime Incidents per Capita: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
- Ideal Weather: Half Weight (~1.79 Points)
Note: This metric uses data from WalletHub’s “Cities with the Best & Worst Weather” ranking. - Acres of Parkland per 1,000 Residents: Half Weight (~1.79 Points)
- Average Leisure Time Spent per Day*: Double Weight (~7.14 Points)
- Well-Being “Community” Index Score: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Note: This metric refers to the “Community” section of the Sharecare Well-Being Index, which refers to “liking where you live, feeling safe and having pride in your community.”
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the
U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of
Investigation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Sharecare-Boston University School of Public Health, Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration, Feeding America, Chmura
Economics & Analytics, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts,
Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, The Trust for
Public Land, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Glassdoor.com,
Indeed and WalletHub research.
