Howard County Ranks Among Happiest Places in America

Howard was recently ranked the seventh happiest county in the U.S. by financial analysis company SmartAsset.

“We may not be Disney, but we are a very happy place,” Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman said in a video announcement about the ranking.

To assess happiness, SmartAsset found 978 counties nationwide that had populations of at least 50,000 and ranked them based on eight measures:

• marriage rate
• divorce rate
• life expectancy
• percentage getting recommended weekly physical exercise (150 minutes of moderate/75 minutes of vigorous)
• personal bankruptcy rate
• ratio between median income and minimum cost of living
• average unemployment rate from 2009–2013
• average poverty rate from 2009–2013

Howard County was called out for having the fifth lowest poverty rating of all counties included in the rankings and, while it was not factored in, SmartAsset referenced the county as having “some of the best schools in the country.”

RELATED: Two Howard Schools Rank Among Nation’s Top 10: U.S. News

“Our county is routinely singled out on best of and top 10 lists for our nationally ranked school system, our award-winning library system and our outstanding parks and recreational opportunities,” Kittleman said. “We were even ranked among the top 10 most caring suburbs in the country this year.”

These are the happiest counties in the U.S. for 2015, according to Smart Asset:

1. Loudoun County, Va.
2. Delaware County, Ohio
3. Fairfax County, Va.
4. Carver County, Minn.
5. York County, Va.
6. Chester County, Pa.
7. Howard County, Md.
8. Ozaukee County, Wis.
9. Douglas County, Colo.
10. Geauga County, Ohio

“So put a smile on your face, Howard County!” Kittleman said. “We have a lot to be happy about.”