Nashua Among '25 Happiest Places In The United States'

NASHUA, NH — Smile, Nashua residents — you live in one of the happiest cities in the United States. That is according to National Geographic's "25 Happiest Places in the United States" survey; the Nashua-Manchester region was ranked No. 19. Boulder, Colorado was ranked No. 1.

The Nashua-Manchester region was among four New England regions that also made the list. The Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk region in Connecticut (No. 8); Barnstable, Massachusetts (No. 9); and Portland, Maine (No. 24) were also included.

National Geographic said its survey, released last month, was based on 250,000 interviews with adults in metro areas in 2014 and 2015. The survey was took into account 15 metrics, including eating habits, financial security and dental checkups.

"For scientists studying the roots and fruits of happiness, location-specific qualities of place, community, and opportunity powerfully inform the way we feel about our lives," National Geographic wrote. "In happier places ... locals smile and laugh more often, socialize several hours a day, have access to green spaces, and feel that they are making purposeful progress toward achieving life goals. For our index, it tracked factors that are statistically associated with doing well and feeling well; these include feeling secure, taking vacations, and having enough money to cover basic needs."

25 Happiest Places in the United States: National Geographic

Last month, Nashua was ranked among the top 50 places to live in America in a survey by 24/7 Wall St. And in September, Nashua was included in Money Magazine's "Best Places to Live in America 2017" rankings.

Related:

Nashua Makes 'America's 50 Best Cities to Live 2017'

Nashua Among 'Best Places to Live in America': Money Magazine/Realtor.com

Photo: Downtown Nashua. (Credit: nashuanh.gov)