Americans are more satisfied when they live in places where they have a reasonable degree of financial freedom, good relationships, overall health and longevity, and basic conveniences and privacy, SmartAsset notes in a new study.
None of these factors alone guarantee happiness, but each one may contribute to a life geared toward wants rather than needs. This can free up time and resources that enable individuals to explore and build a life on their own terms.
SmartAsset researchers evaluated 85 of the largest U.S. cities with available data across three categories:
PERSONAL FINANCE METRICS
— Percent of individuals earning $100,000 or more
— Percent of households that spend half or more of income on housing
— Percent of residents below the poverty level
WELL-BEING METRICS
— Average percentage of days spent with poor mental health
— Life expectancy in years
— Percentage of residents getting exercise
— Percentage of residents who have health insurance
QUALITY-OF-LIFE METRICS
— Marriage rate
— Average traffic volume per meter of major roadways in the county
— Percentage of population with adequate access to locations for physical activity
— Percentage of households with overcrowding, i.e., more than one person living in a room
Data came from the U.S. Census Bureau 1-Year American Community Survey for 2024 and the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps for 2025.
See the accompanying gallery for the 12 happiest U.S. cities.
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