2 Maryland Cities Rank Among Happiest Cities In U.S.

COLUMBIA, MD — Surroundings play a role in determining a person’s happiness, so it makes sense Columbia came in high on the list when WalletHub ranked the happiest cities in the U.S. In fact, Columbia was among the top five American cities as far as community and the environment.

To come up with its rankings of the happiest cities in the U.S., WalletHub compared 182 of the largest American cities.

Two cities from Maryland made WalletHub’s list: Columbia and Baltimore.

Columbia was 12th and Baltimore was the 159th happiest city in the U.S., according to WalletHub.

The cities were evaluated across three categories: emotional and physical well-being, income and employment, and community and environment. Analysts looked at 28 metrics within these categories, using data from government and private agencies to rate cities. (You can read more about the methodology here.)

According to WalletHub, these are the 10 happiest cities in the U.S.:

1. Fremont, California
2. Bismarck, North Dakota
3. San Jose, California
4. Pearl City, Hawaii
5. Plano, Texas
6. Fargo, North Dakota
7. Sioux Falls, South Dakota
8. Irvine, California
9. Huntington Beach, California
10. Grand Prairie, Texas
11. Madison, Wisconsin
12. Columbia, Maryland
13. San Francisco, California
14. Scottsdale, Arizona
15. Overland Park, Kansas

Columbia had the 5th best ranking when it came to community and environment. That category factored in data such as separation and divorce rate; leisure time spent each day; weather; social ties; acres of parkland per 1,000 residents; and placement on WalletHub's "Most Caring Cities" and "Cities with the Best & Worst Weather" lists.

The WalletHub ranking also lists these as the most glum cities:

1. Detroit, Michigan
2. Birmingham, Alabama
3. Huntington, West Virginia
4. Gulfport, Mississippi
5. Little Rock, Arkansas
6. Charleston, West Virginia
7. Wilmington, Delaware
8. Mobile, Alabama
9. Columbus, Georgia
10. Cleveland, Ohio

WalletHub asked a panel of experts to explain why where a person lives has such an influence on happiness. Here’s what one expert had to say:

“This comes down to a person’s interests and values,” writes Sarah Collins, director of the college to career center at Doane University in Nebraska. “If you love spending time outdoors, then living in a place with a temperate climate could make you happier, as it would allow you to fulfill this interest more often. If family is very important to you, then being close to them, wherever they are, might make you happier.”

You can see the full rankings here.