What Is the Happiest City in the US?

The happiest city in the US is Provo, Utah, according to a survey of 500,000 Americans in 189 metropolitan areas on their attitudes about the quality of their lives. Residents of Provo reported the overall highest satisfaction in factors such as emotional and physical health, job satisfaction, access to basic necessities and how their lives are progressing. Provo is a largely religious area — about 75% of residents are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — and it is home to Brigham Young University, which is owned by the same church. It is thought that perhaps residents are satisfied with their lives because they are surrounded by people who share their belief system.

More about the happiest cities in the US:

• Honolulu, Hawaii, is the most emotionally healthy city, and the Holland-Grand Haven area in Michigan reported being the most physically healthy.


• West Virginia is the state that is home to the least happy residents, with two cities in the bottom 10, the most of any state.


• Residents of the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles area in California are the happiest with their job environments.