The Happiest U.S. Cities Right Now

Over the last decade, the World Happiness Report has ranked countries based on factors like perceptions of corruption, GDP per capita, social support, life expectancy, and freedom to make life choices. Finland has come out on top for the past five years. Meanwhile, the United States achieved its highest ranking—11th—in 2012, the first year the report was published.
Since then, it has hovered in the mid-to-high teens, landing in the 16th spot in the most recent report, which came out in 2022. Of course, there are some caveats to consider with a report like that, including the fact that the United States is a large, diverse country, which makes it difficult to lump all of its people and places together.
If you’ve ever wondered which American cities are the happiest in the country, you may be interested in a new report which ranked U.S. metro areas based on factors thought to contribute to happiness. Here’s what to know.
The Happiest U.S. Cities Right Now