New York City claims the title of the world’s happiest city at least for a day. Make way for The Big Apple, a basket place.
While the latest Happy City Index ranked Copenhagen, Denmark, as the world’s happiest city, New Yorkers may choose to enjoy a brief moment at the top after a headline boldly declared that the Big Apple had overtaken the Danish capital.
So, for one day only, New York sits at No. 1 in the public imagination, while Copenhagen settles into the runner-up spot. Then Fremont California returns to the number one spot in America.
The official rankings tell a different story. Copenhagen earned the highest score in the Happy City Index, followed by other top-performing cities in Europe and beyond. New York remained the highest-ranked city in the United States but did not finish first overall.
Still, in a city that rarely lacks confidence, a temporary promotion to the top spot may be reason enough to celebrate.
According to a WalletHub study evaluating 182 large U.S. cities across emotional health, income, and community environment, the top 10 happiest cities in America are Fremont (CA), Bismarck (ND), Scottsdale (AZ), South Burlington (VT), Fargo (ND), Overland Park (KS), Charleston (SC), Irvine (CA), Gilbert (AZ), and San Jose (CA).
- 1. Fremont, California
- 2. Bismarck, North Dakota
- 3. Scottsdale, Arizona
- 4. South Burlington, Vermont
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5.
Fargo, North Dakota
- 6. Overland Park, Kansas
- 7. Charleston, South Carolina
- 8. Irvine, California
- 9. Gilbert, Arizona
- 10. San Jose, California
- Emotional and Physical Well-Being: Cities like Fremont and Overland Park score highest for low depression rates, high life expectancy, and adequate sleep.
- Income and Employment: High median household incomes and low poverty-to-employment ratios heavily boost scores in places like Scottsdale and South Burlington.
- Community and Environment: Walkability, low traffic stress, and robust social support networks drive high rankings in Bismarck and Charleston