These are the happiest cities in America in 2026, data finds

Location can influence how bright or gloomy our daily lives feel – and a new study is revealing where in the U.S., Americans are happiest. 

To identify where Americans are happiest, WalletHub analyzed more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities using insights from positive-psychology research. 

Each city was evaluated across 29 key indicators of happiness, including depression rate, income growth, and average daily leisure time.

Fremont, California is happiest city in America

By the numbers:

The data found that Fremont, California was the happiest city in America, and one contributing factor was that the city had the highest share of households with an income above $75,000, at nearly 80%. 

Studies have shown that increasing your income up to $75,000 also increases your happiness, but making more than that does not. Therefore, cities where a lot of people mad at least $75,000 per year were more likely to have maximized their happiness. People in Fremont also had the highest rate of life satisfaction, the seventh-lowest depression rate and the fifth-highest average life expectancy in the country.

Another contributing factor to Fremont’s happiness was that it has the lowest separation and divorce rate in the country, at only 9.3%. It also has the lowest share of adults who reported having 14 or more mentally unhealthy days per month.

Bismark, North Dakota and Scottsdale, Arizona followed. 

What they're saying:

"Research shows that having more money only increases your happiness until you’re making at least $75,000 per year – anything more you earn likely won’t have an impact. Therefore, when deciding where to live to maximize your happiness, you’ll want to pick a city that offers more than just a decent average income. The ideal city provides conditions that foster good mental and physical health, like reasonable work hours, short commutes, good weather, and caring neighbors," Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, said.

Happiest cities in America

1. Fremont, California
2. Bismark, North Dakota
3. Scottsdale, Arizona
4. South Burlington, Vermont
5. Fargo, North Dakota

See the full report here.

Fremont continues to rank as happiest city

Big picture view:

Last year, the 2025 study also found that Fremont, California emerged as the happiest city in America, largely due to a combination of financial stability, high life satisfaction, and healthy living conditions. 

This was followed by San Jose and Irvine, California.