Columbia, Maryland has been named the 13th happiest city in the nation, according to WalletHub’s 2026 “Happiest Cities in America” rankings.
The city was in the survey’s top 10 happiest cities in America rankings in 2022, 2023, and 2024. In January 2026, Columbia was rated second in WalletHub’s “Best Cities for Jobs” report, and one year earlier was ranked third in the same report. In September 2025, Columbia was rated the best city in the nation for women for the second year in a row.
“Once again, Columbia has been recognized as one of the happiest cities in America,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said in a statement. “Envisioned by Jim Rouse to be a ‘garden for growing people’ and designed to bring people together, Columbia offers walkability, beautiful parks and open spaces, a vibrant arts and culture community, outstanding schools, and a strong local economy. Columbia is a thriving community where neighbors support one another and families grow together and where the spirit of inclusion, diversity, and community engagement continue to make it a welcoming place to live, work, and play.”
WalletHub, a personal finance outlet, compared 182 of the largest U.S. cities to determine which had the happiest people. They used 29 measures of happiness, broken into three categories: “Emotional and Physical Well-Being” (Columbia ranks 3rd), “Income and Employment” (Columbia ranks 162nd), and “Community and Environment” (Columbia ranks 101st)…