Tag: Happiest Cities in America Aurora

Happiest Cities in America includes Aurora, IL

The U.S. Declaration of Independence speaks about the “pursuit of happiness” as a universal right. However, everyone gets joy from different things, whether it’s family, friends, activities, entertainment or work. What people might not realize is that where you live may also determine how happy you are.

Location plays a hand in how bright or gloomy our days are. For years, researchers have studied the science of happiness and found that its key ingredients include a positive mental state, healthy body, strong social connections, job satisfaction and financial well-being. However, money can only make you so happy – people who make $75,000 a year won’t get any higher satisfaction from more money. Consider also the fact that while the U.S. is one of the richest countries, it ranks only 19th on the World Happiness Report.

But not everywhere in the U.S. experiences a uniform level of happiness. As this study aims to illustrate, moving to a certain city may help you be more content. WalletHub drew upon the various findings of positive-psychology research in order to determine which among more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities is home to the happiest people in America. We examined each city based on 30 key indicators of happiness, ranging from depression rate to income-growth rate to average leisure time spent per day. Read on for our findings, methodology and expert commentary from a panel of researchers.

To see which states combine all the necessary components of happiness, check out WalletHub’s report on the Happiest States in America.

Overall Rank (1=Best) City Total Score ‘Emotional & Physical Well-Being’ Rank ‘Income & Employment’ Rank  ‘Community & Environment’ Rank
1 Fremont, CA 75.32 4 28 5
2 Plano, TX 73.23 6 9 16
3 San Jose, CA 73.20 1 11 64
4 Irvine, CA 72.81 7 13 19
5 Madison, WI 72.19 5 21 13
6 Sioux Falls, SD 70.26 13 45 21
7 Huntington Beach, CA 69.90 8 70 44
8 Scottsdale, AZ 69.49 51 7 2
9 Santa Rosa, CA 69.33 10 34 32
10 Pearl City, HI 69.13 3 128 12
11 Bismarck, ND 68.86 18 15 31
12 Fargo, ND 68.41 26 32 30
13 Lincoln, NE 68.33 24 68 24
14 San Francisco, CA 68.30 2 2 158
15 Overland Park, KS 68.23 35 48 8
16 Santa Clarita, CA 67.86 17 127 29
17 Oceanside, CA 67.66 15 117 15
18 Glendale, CA 67.64 22 98 26
19 Anaheim, CA 67.10 23 65 43
20 Cape Coral, FL 66.96 52 63 3
21 Pembroke Pines, FL 66.80 28 134 10
22 Austin, TX 66.54 12 6 118
23 Gilbert, AZ 66.37 56 36 11
24 San Diego, CA 66.34 9 26 73
25 Chula Vista, CA 66.21 19 99 34
26 Garden Grove, CA 66.19 31 101 33
27 Grand Prairie, TX 65.89 46 74 23
28 Charleston, SC 65.86 80 3 4
29 Cedar Rapids, IA 65.64 54 38 18
30 Minneapolis, MN 65.44 14 47 112
31 Raleigh, NC 65.20 25 59 62
32 Aurora, CO 64.92 32 124 48
33 Chandler, AZ 64.92 63 42 20
34 Des Moines, IA 64.88 47 66 46
35 Irving, TX 64.80 37 17 106
36 Columbia, MD 64.58 20 106 98
37 Oxnard, CA 64.54 45 137 9
38 Peoria, AZ 64.49 69 67 6
39 Oakland, CA 64.27 11 79 132
40 St. Paul, MN 64.14 38 96 60
41 Fort Lauderdale, FL 63.96 42 62 88
42 Yonkers, NY 63.96 21 160 68
43 Garland, TX 63.80 41 122 57
44 Tempe, AZ 63.70 72 35 27
45 Boise, ID 63.62 66 12 54
46 Durham, NC 63.38 48 27 72
47 Las Cruces, NM 63.01 58 116 7
48 Aurora, IL 62.98 30 157 66
49 Charlotte, NC 62.88 55 86 49
50 Omaha, NE 62.81 64 73 38
51 Boston, MA 62.71 33 8 149
52 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 62.70 68 33 59
53 Santa Ana, CA 62.65 43 78 101
54 Denver, CO 62.60 34 88 105
55 Seattle, WA 62.54 27 1 173
56 Honolulu, HI 62.47 71 54 37
57 Port St. Lucie, FL 62.21 83 77 14
58 Nashua, NH 62.20 59 76 51
59 Rapid City, SD 62.04 105 23 1
60 Fort Worth, TX 61.97 50 102 91
61 Arlington, TX 61.95 49 132 82
62 Long Beach, CA 61.92 36 144 96
63 Portland, ME 61.88 60 10 128
64 Colorado Springs, CO 61.65 78 64 42
65 Washington, DC 61.37 16 60 177
66 Grand Rapids, MI 61.02 91 25 47
67 Nampa, ID 60.97 84 104 28
68 El Paso, TX 60.97 76 120 41
69 Mesa, AZ 60.93 82 91 36
70 Salt Lake City, UT 60.84 74 51 78
71 Manchester, NH 60.54 75 108 45
72 Virginia Beach, VA 60.51 79 126 39
73 Billings, MT 60.48 81 40 84
74 Burlington, VT 60.46 61 14 176
75 Miami, FL 60.41 29 50 170
76 Dallas, TX 59.77 44 92 148
77 Reno, NV 59.62 98 16 79
78 Fontana, CA 59.49 94 71 53
79 Brownsville, TX 59.43 106 90 22
80 Los Angeles, CA 59.42 39 93 161
81 Chesapeake, VA 59.39 100 145 25
81 Ontario, CA 59.39 95 41 74
83 Riverside, CA 59.34 77 18 129
84 Tallahassee, FL 59.25 88 39 94
85 Lewiston, ME 59.23 148 4 63
86 New York, NY 59.09 53 158 100
87 Moreno Valley, CA 58.93 89 103 58
88 Missoula, MT 58.83 65 58 140
89 Jersey City, NJ 58.61 62 168 76
90 Portland, OR 58.48 85 57 99
91 Atlanta, GA 58.32 70 110 111
92 Orlando, FL 58.29 86 20 121
93 Modesto, CA 58.17 87 52 110
94 Hialeah, FL 58.16 40 166 164
95 Vancouver, WA 58.15 97 123 56
96 Pittsburgh, PA 58.14 114 37 67
97 Tampa, FL 57.94 107 53 75
98 West Valley City, UT 57.67 102 109 65
99 Sacramento, CA 57.49 96 29 120
100 Huntsville, AL 57.32 135 55 17
101 Cheyenne, WY 57.03 112 30 141
102 Dover, DE 56.91 99 72 107
103 Henderson, NV 56.32 120 107 61
104 Glendale, AZ 56.27 93 143 102
105 Bridgeport, CT 56.20 67 163 109
106 Nashville, TN 56.20 129 114 35
107 South Burlington, VT 56.10 108 31 153
108 Anchorage, AK 55.98 92 82 143
109 Salem, OR 55.84 116 49 124
110 San Antonio, TX 55.62 123 69 85
111 Houston, TX 55.56 73 131 159
112 Winston-Salem, NC 55.55 110 94 108
113 Chicago, IL 55.29 57 177 142
114 Tacoma, WA 54.59 103 148 114
115 St. Petersburg, FL 54.56 125 43 115
116 Fort Wayne, IN 54.32 136 115 50
117 Amarillo, TX 54.23 150 44 55
118 Lexington-Fayette, KY 54.14 104 119 139
119 Phoenix, AZ 54.13 90 130 156
120 Bakersfield, CA 54.07 122 46 135
121 Laredo, TX 53.94 109 56 172
122 Worcester, MA 53.90 117 113 126
123 Tucson, AZ 53.82 101 112 145
124 Columbia, SC 53.80 145 19 69
125 Greensboro, NC 53.78 113 95 131
126 Warwick, RI 53.65 131 83 104
127 Richmond, VA 53.28 111 150 137
128 Lubbock, TX 52.98 141 24 136
129 Springfield, MO 52.83 137 105 97
130 San Bernardino, CA 52.49 118 121 152
131 Casper, WY 52.41 164 61 119
132 Albuquerque, NM 52.05 121 97 160
133 Corpus Christi, TX 51.98 147 22 125
134 Chattanooga, TN 51.80 142 141 77
135 Jacksonville, FL 51.70 151 118 70
136 Newport News, VA 51.40 124 165 123
137 Columbus, OH 51.31 132 153 113
138 Knoxville, TN 51.13 160 85 52
139 Rochester, NY 50.84 133 111 146
140 Fresno, CA 50.82 115 100 178
141 Spokane, WA 50.78 134 84 165
142 Oklahoma City, OK 50.61 153 125 81
143 Fort Smith, AR 50.55 171 75 71
144 Fayetteville, NC 50.53 154 155 40
145 Wichita, KS 50.43 138 129 134
146 Norfolk, VA 50.24 140 151 116
147 Providence, RI 50.22 155 81 92
148 Stockton, CA 49.99 119 149 162
149 New Haven, CT 49.72 126 133 175
150 North Las Vegas, NV 49.63 156 152 89
151 Buffalo, NY 49.37 149 139 122
152 Juneau, AK 49.30 162 5 181
153 Kansas City, MO 49.26 130 147 167
154 Las Vegas, NV 48.96 144 136 144
155 Indianapolis, IN 48.95 146 174 86
156 Louisville, KY 48.35 163 156 80
157 Milwaukee, WI 48.19 127 178 151
158 New Orleans, LA 47.64 167 135 103
159 Wilmington, DE 47.36 161 140 138
160 Montgomery, AL 46.79 158 170 95
161 Baltimore, MD 46.76 139 173 166
162 Jackson, MS 46.64 143 179 127
163 Baton Rouge, LA 46.62 152 138 163
164 Philadelphia, PA 46.23 165 161 117
165 Shreveport, LA 45.60 169 175 87
166 Columbus, GA 45.24 176 146 90
167 Cincinnati, OH 44.79 159 142 174
168 Newark, NJ 44.15 128 181 180
169 Tulsa, OK 44.14 172 87 155
170 Akron, OH 43.54 170 169 147
171 St. Louis, MO 43.44 166 167 157
172 Memphis, TN 43.42 157 180 154
173 Mobile, AL 42.15 173 171 150
174 Little Rock, AR 42.15 177 154 93
175 Augusta, GA 42.02 175 162 133
176 Birmingham, AL 41.43 174 159 168
177 Gulfport, MS 41.42 178 172 83
178 Cleveland, OH 39.36 168 176 179
179 Huntington, WV 39.09 182 80 130
180 Toledo, OH 37.99 179 164 171
181 Charleston, WV 36.21 180 89 169
182 Detroit, MI 29.06 181 182 182

Source: Happiest Cities in America