New York City has been named the happiest city in the U.S., ranking No. 17 on the Institute for Quality of Life’s 2025 Happy City Index.
Seventeen other U.S. cities were also recognized in the index, now in its sixth edition. The organization ranked 200 cities globally and placed them into gold, silver and bronze categories based on 26 criteria across six themes: citizens, governance, environment, economy, health and mobility.
The ranking incorporates data on health coverage, education, housing, access to culture, green space availability, unemployment, public transportation and safety, as well as resident interviews.
Learn more about the methodology here.
Below are the 18 U.S. cities included on the list and their global rankings:
17. New York City
30. Minneapolis
34. San Diego
43. Washington, D.C.
56. Salt Lake City
63. Columbus, Ohio
70. Los Angeles
80. Seattle
84. Baltimore
89. San Antonio
96. Nashville, Tenn.
112. Indianapolis
119. San Jose, Calif.
131. Boston
141. Portland, Ore.
176. Orlando, Fla.
181. Phoenix
198. Houston
