Where you live can have a significant impact on your happiness, and WalletHub’s latest report reveals which U.S. cities are leading the way in well-being for 2025. The personal-finance website analyzed more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities across 29 key indicators of happiness, including depression rates, income growth, and average leisure time per day.
Fremont, California, took the top spot as the happiest city in America, boasting the lowest separation and divorce rate (4.6 times lower than Detroit, Michigan, the city with the highest). San Jose and Irvine, California, also made the top three, reinforcing the Golden State’s reputation for sunshine and satisfaction. Sioux Falls, South Dakota, followed in fourth place.
According to Matthew J. Grawitch, Ph.D., Director of Strategic Research at Saint Louis University, several factors contribute to a city’s happiness level. “The environment where you live can certainly influence your happiness. Features such as the extent of green space (access to nature), how much sunlight you get, congestion of cars and crowds, and the safety and walkability of your community – can all influence happiness.”
Other notable findings from the study include Pearl City, Hawaii, ranking with the lowest depression rate, 2.3 times lower than Knoxville, Tennessee, the city with the highest. Meanwhile, South Burlington, Vermont, has the lowest share of adults sleeping less than seven hours per night, nearly twice as low as Detroit, Michigan, which ranked at the bottom in this category.
The happiest cities in America: The full list
- Fremont, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Irvine, CA
- Sioux Falls, SD
- Overland Park, KS
- Lincoln, NE
- Madison, WI
- Scottsdale, AZ
- San Francisco, CA
- Huntington Beach, CA
- Bismarck, ND
- Omaha, NE
- Seattle, WA
- Charleston, SC
- San Diego, CA
- Columbia, MD
- Plano, TX
- Honolulu, HI
- South Burlington, VT
- Garden Grove, CA
