For the rankings, which were shared with Becker’s, the personal finance website compared 182 of the largest cities — including the 150 most populated cities, as well as at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across three dimensions: emotional and physical well-being, income and employment, and community and environment.
WalletHub evaluated these dimensions using 29 metrics, ranging from the depression rate to average leisure time spent per day. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing maximum happiness. Each state’s overall score was then based on the weighted average across all metrics.
The 10 happiest cities, according to the analysis:
1. Fremont, Calif. — 73.54
2. San Jose, Calif. — 69.34
3. Irvine, Calif. — 69.32
4. Sioux Falls, S.D. — 68.66
5. Overland Park, Kan. — 66.93
6. Lincoln, Neb. — 66.59
7. Madison, Wis. — 65.83
8. Scottsdale, Ariz. — 65.17
9. San Francisco — 64.96
10. Huntington Beach, Calif. — 64.70
The 10 cities at the bottom of the list, according to the analysis:
1. Cleveland — 34.01
2. Detroit — 34.18
3. Memphis, Tenn. — 34.88
4. Fort Smith, Ark. — 35.61
5. Gulfport, Miss. — 35.89
6. Toledo, Ohio — 36.30
7. Birmingham, Ala. — 37.29
8. Huntington, W.Va. — 37.84
9. Montgomery, Ala. — 38.49
10. Mobile, Ala. — 39.11