Do you live in the happiest city in America, and how does the weather affect it?

The results are in, and Fremont, California, is the happiest city in America once again. Golden State is well represented at the top of the list. But the South and Northeast scored shockingly low.

The happiest cities

1. Fremont, California – Earned top scores for emotional and physical well-being, community and environment. WalletHub said the city has the highest percentage of people with incomes exceeding $75,000. The city also has the lowest separation and divorce rate in the country.
2. OVERLAND PARK, Kansas – Earned good scores for emotional and physical well-being, community and environment. The new entrant into the top three has the lowest poverty rate and is near the top of the lowest rates of food insecurity and unemployment.
3. San Jose, California – San Jose has the longest life expectancy and low separation and divorce rate. The city also has low rates of depression and suicide.
4. Madison, Wisconsin – Good scores for emotional and physical well-being, community and environment, and good scores for income and employment.
5. IRVINE, Calif. – Got top scores for emotional and physical health.

The full list can be found at the bottom of the story.

Don't blame hurricanes, nor'easters and the polar vortex for making enjoying these areas difficult. WalletHub looked at 29 key happiness factors of scientific interest in the 150 largest U.S. cities to see if they fit into three main baskets:

• Emotional and physical well-being – The highest weighted scores were depression rate, adequate sleep rate, physical health index, sports participation rate, proportion of adults rating their mental health as “not good,” and food insecurity rate. Each accounted for approximately 6.5% of the final score.
• Income and Employment – The highest weighted rates were income growth rate, unemployment rate, underemployment rate, bankruptcy rate, and weekly hours worked. These only represent about 3% of the score for each.
• Society and Environment – ​​The highest weighted average leisure time spent daily was highest, accounting for approximately 7% of the score.

Location, location, location isn't everything

Where's the weather, you ask? “Perfect weather” only accounts for less than 2% of the final score. Sports participation is loosely proportioned to the outside weather.

“Some research suggests that where you live, in and of itself, can directly affect your happiness. For example, people who live in places where they have access to nature and green spaces are, on average, happier,” expert WalletHub and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. Matthew Joseph, Faculty of Education at Dunisk University, said in a statement:

“However, location is likely to be an indirect and relatively small contributor to happiness; other factors such as positive relationships (in particular, being in a satisfying long-term partnership and/or having at least a few trusted friends) and… Physical and mental. He continued: “Mental health plays more important roles.”

The highest-ranking city on the East Coast was Columbia, Maryland, at No. 9, and Portland, Maine, was the highest-ranking city in the Northeast, ranked No. 17. The South did not appear until No. 22, along with Charleston, South Carolina.

“Location can impact happiness once basic needs for safety, security and shelter are met,” said Lisa Jane Laird, WalletHub expert and director of Snow College’s Career Center. “Only then can individuals focus on behavior and match their actions to achieve happiness.” statement. “Of course, research shows that quality of life factors like city services, parks, recreation, and a sense of community all influence happiness, but so does when basic needs are met.”

Notably absent are cities from Utah, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho and Nebraska, which all made the top 10 for WalletHub's happiest states for 2023. Lincoln, Nebraska was the top city at No. 19. Connecticut didn't make the list until 105th, along with Bridgeport. The happiest state's top performer came at age 78 with Salt Lake City.

Least happy cities

1. Detroit, Michigan
2. Cleveland, Ohio
3. Montgomery, Alabama
4. Birmingham, Alabama
5. (Shreveport, Louisiana).

The least happy cities were more in line with the least happy countries. Louisiana ranked 49th out of 50, while Alabama ranked 45th.

Can the weather make us happy?

One study published in A Journal of the American Meteorological Society I looked at the weather and individual happiness. The researchers found that “happiness peaks” at 57 degrees, and that males are more sensitive to temperature than females.

“Effects of other meteorological variables – moisture“Wind speed, precipitation, and sunlight are not important,” the authors wrote.

Houston Methodist HospitalHowever, temperature, sunlight and humidity had the greatest impact on mood, according to A. 1984 study. Humidity actually reduces concentration and increases drowsiness.

The hospital also cited another The study is from 2005which I found that people who spent time in the fresh air In nice weather they had a better mood and better memory, in addition to a 2008 study Which suggests that wind, temperature, and sunlight can influence negative moods, but not positive moods.

What are the best and worst weather conditions, according to WalletHub?

WalletHub revisited its 2014 analysis of Cities with the best and worst weather To award states points for ideal weather. 600 cities ranked by season and year-round moderate weather:

• For moderate weather, the company looked at climate averages against what it considered optimal, which was a high of 72 degrees, less than an inch of rain per day, and a 0% chance of snow and fog.
• The ideal winter temperature was 45 degrees, 0.07 inch of liquid equivalent precipitation per day, a 7% chance of snow, and a 5% chance of fog.
• The ideal spring was 65 degrees with no chance of rain, fog or snow.
• The perfect summer was 80 degrees with no chance of rain, fog or snow.
• Ideal fall was 65 degrees with 0.08 inch of rain per day, 0% chance of snow and 5% chance of fog.
• The ideal sky condition was a 70% chance of a sunny day and a 30% chance of a partly cloudy day.
• Analysts also looked at the chances of a hail and a tornado in one day and the chance of having a windy day.

From the happiest to the least happy cities in America