There are so many ways to define happiness — and in a new report, WalletHub set out to do just that.
In honor of the upcoming International Day of Happiness, which falls on March 20, this report looked at a variety of factors to determine the top happiest cities in the U.S. Read on to see the top 20 happiest cities, along with what exactly makes things feel like sunshine and rainbows in these metro areas.
These Are the Happiest U.S. Cities for 2026
Fremont, a city in California’s Bay Area, came in at No. 1 on the list of happiest cities, with a score of nearly 75 out of 100. This is in large part thanks to Fremont’s high life satisfaction rates, high life expectancy rates and low depression rates.
“Fremont, CA, is the happiest city in America, and one contributing factor is that the city has the highest share of households with an income above $75,000, at nearly 80 percent,” WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo explained in a statement. “Studies have shown that increasing your income up to $75,000 also increases your happiness, but making more than that does not.”…