Fremont Is The Happiest City In America — Again. Here's What It Costs To Live There

FREMONT, CA — Fremont has been named the happiest city in America for the second year in a row, according to a new study by WalletHub.

The personal finance website published a report that ranked the happiest cities in the United States, and Fremont topped the list, beating other cities such as Scottsdale, Arizona, and Fargo, North Dakota.

Twelve other California cities made the top 50, including Irvine (No. 8), San Jose (No. 10) and San Francisco (No. 17).

The study evaluated cities across 29 key indicators of happiness, including depression rates, income growth, and average daily leisure time.

"Research shows that having more money only increases your happiness until you’re making at least $75,000 per year – anything more you earn likely won’t have an impact," Chip Lupo, a Wallethub Analyst, said. "Therefore, when deciding where to live to maximize your happiness, you’ll want to pick a city that offers more than just a decent average income."

The ideal city, Lupo says, offers conditions that foster good mental and physical health, including reasonable work hours, good weather and neighbor relationships.

Fremont ranked No. 1 in emotional and physical well-being but No. 89 in income and employment rank, receiving a total score of 74.09.

"Fremont, CA, is the happiest city in America, and one contributing factor is that the city has the highest share of households with an income above $75,000, at nearly 80%," according to Wallethub. "People in Fremont also have the highest rate of life satisfaction, the seventh-lowest depression rate, and the fifth-highest average life expectancy in the country."

But what does it take to live in such a happy city as Fremont? Apparently, a lot of money.

The cost of living is 64% higher than the national average, while housing is 126% more than the national average, according to Payscale, a software and data company.

The median home price in Fremont is just over $1.2 million, while rent averages out at about $3,623 a month, according to Payscale.

These are the 10 happiest cities in the United States in 2026, according to WalletHub:

• Fremont, CA
• Bismarck, ND
• Scottsdale, AZ
• Fargo, ND
• Overland Park, KS
• Charleston, SC
• Irvine, CA
• Gilbert, AZ
• San Jose, CA

See the full list on WalletHub.