These 6 Cities In North Carolina Among Happiest In U.S.

Location plays a role in determining a person’s happiness and so it makes sense that some of the giddiest cities in the U.S. featured in a new set of rankings are in sunny California. The California cities ranked among the top of WalletHub’s rankings of happiest cities in the U.S.

Six cities from North Carolina also made WalletHub’s list. In 2017, North Carolina was ranked as the 26th most happiest state in the U.S., according to WalletHub.

To come up with the rankings, WalletHub compared 182 of the largest American cities, including the 150 most populated cities in every state. WalletHub also included at least two of the most populated cities in each state in its analysis. The cities were evaluated across three categories: emotional and physical well-being, income and employment, and community and environment.

The three categories were evaluated across 28 metrics using data from government and private agencies. (You can read more about the methodology here.)

The six cities from North Carolina that made the rankings are:

• Raleigh, No. 41
• Charlotte, No. 51
• Durham, No. 56
• Greensboro, No. 119
• Winston-Salem, No. 140
• Fayetteville, No. 157

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

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

The WalletHub ranking also lists the most glum cities. They are:

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.

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