If you want to be happy, then follow the old adage and, “Go west, young man.” Of course, if you want to be miserable, follow my new adage and, “Get south, punk.” In the annual Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which ranks cities by happiness levels based on such standards as life evaluation, emotional health, work environment, physical health and healthy behavior, and access to important services. Going by those standards, and the ranking of the residents in each city, the happiest place in America is Boulder, Colorado.
The unhappiest city in America, unsurprisingly, is Huntington, West Virginia. As we’ve already talked about, West Virginia has a lot of problems with sleep and depression, which drags down the city’s ranking. For some reason, probably due to the weather, everybody in the western half of the US is happier than everyone in the South.
I blame kudzu.
Tags: Boulder, Colorado, happiest cities in America, happiest cities in the US, surveys, Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, Huntington, West Virginia, happiness index, cities ranked by happiness