Happiest U.S. Cities of 2014: The List
A Gallup-Healthways poll surveyed people from the most populous communities in every U.S. state and the District of Columbia about their well-being. The resulting score was based on five distinct elements of well-being, including purpose, social relationships, financial security, community pride/safety, and physical health.
Here is the full list of states ranked by the percent of people who reported the highest well-being across all five elements. [Read full story on the happiest U.S. communities]
1. North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton
2. Urban Honolulu
3. Raleigh
4. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
5. El Paso
Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now
Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.
6. Austin-Round Rock
7. Provo-Orem
8. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
9. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
10. Winston-Salem
11. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
12. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward
13. Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land
14. Chattanooga
15. Spokane-Spokane Valley
16. San Diego-Carlsbad
17. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington
18. Omaha-Council Bluffs
19. Cape Coral-Fort Myers
20. San Antonio-New Braunfels
21. Richmond
22. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
23. Charleston-North Charleston
24. Springfield
25. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood
26. Grand Rapids-Wyoming
27. Boston-Cambridge-Newton
28. Colorado Springs
29. Tucson
30. Stockton-Lodi
31. Albuquerque
32. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia
33. Boise City
34. Lancaster
35. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach
36. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk
37. Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford
38. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale
39. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis
40. Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade
41. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford
42. Salt Lake City
43. Wichita
44. Nashville-Murfreesboro-Franklin
45. Bakersfield
46. Fresno
47. Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville
48. New Haven-Milford
49. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell
50. Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin
Follow Tanya Lewis on Twitter. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+.