A Howard County Town Has Been Named 2nd Happiest City In Nation

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Columbia ranks second in the nation for "happiest cities in America," according to WalletHub. International Day of Happiness falls on March 20 and WalletHub set out to find the happiest cities by comparing more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities across 30 key indicators of happiness.

The data set ranges from depression rate to income-growth rate to average leisure time spent per day.

Happiness in Columbia (1=Happiest, 91=Average):

• 10th – Depression Rate
• 56th – Adequate-Sleep Rate
• 3rd – Suicide Rate
• 17th – Sports-Participation Rate
• 14th – Separation & Divorce Rate

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said that the recognition "speaks to our concerted efforts to improve the quality of life for all our residents here in Howard County."

“People want to live, work, play and grow here because of our connected green spaces, quality schools, robust businesses and the strong sense of community. Howard County’s focus on building a diverse and inclusive community makes it a great place to live and thrive," Ball said.

"We are proud to have such an active role in serving Columbia in ways that earn this community national recognition, particularly in environmental stewardship, all aspects of wellness and inclusion for people of all experiences and backgrounds," Columbia Association President/CEO Lakey Boyd added. "We believe an engaged and connected community is indeed a happy community and CA is an important part of that fabric in Columbia. We remain committed to being a leader in these areas in order to best serve this incredibly special community."

To view the full report, visit https://wallethub.com/edu/happiest-places-to-live/32619.