This Map Shows Where the Happiest and Most Unhappy People Live in the United States.
All other things being equal, a recent study found that the South, West and Upper Midwest are the happiest places in the United States.
Researchers at Harvard University and the University of British Columbia took data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which asked 300,000 people to report their life satisfaction annually between 2005 and 2009. Analysts used this data and other demographic variables to compare differences in happiness across regions, monitoring things like employment status and income.
As the map shows, people may be willing to sacrifice happiness for employment opportunities in urban areas (New York is the number one unhappy metropolis) or for low housing prices (Indiana and Kentucky). However, if you want to be around happy people, consider moving to Richmond, Norfolk, Washington DC, or other areas marked with blue or green dots on the map.
You can read the PDF report here or a summary with a list of cities in the press release below.
Survey Reveals “Most Unhappy” US Cities | UBC News via Vox