Happiest city in America identified as Fremont, California

WalletHub ranked 182 U.S. cities and found Fremont, California, scored highest at 74.09, citing strong life satisfaction and low separation rates; the report used 29 indicators across wellbeing, income and employment, and community and environment.

WalletHub released a report that ranks happiness across 182 large U.S. cities using insights from positive-psychology research. The company compared cities across three dimensions—emotional and physical well-being; income and employment; and community and environment—and evaluated 29 indicators such as depression rates, income growth, and average daily leisure time. Fremont, a Northern California city in the San Francisco Bay Area, ranked highest in the analysis. Key findings: - Fremont earned the top overall score, 74.09, in WalletHub’s Happiest Cities in America report, according to the company. - The report noted Fremont has the highest share of households with income above $75,000 (nearly 80%) and the highest reported rate of life satisfaction, WalletHub said. - WalletHub reported Fremont ranks seventh lowest for depression, fifth highest for life expectancy, and has the lowest separation and divorce rate at 9.3%. - The city also showed the lowest share of adults reporting 14 or more mentally unhealthy days per month and ranked fifth among the most caring cities, the report said. - WalletHub and other sources noted trade-offs: Fremont’s cost of living is reported as 64% above the national average and housing costs as 126% above the national average, with an average home value listed at $1,477,693. Summary: Fremont’s top ranking reflects measures of personal and community wellbeing as reported by WalletHub, alongside economic indicators that the report says support family stability. Undetermined at this time.