Of the 10 happiest cities in America for 2021, 3 cities in CA made the list
California — Some men chase women . . . some women chase money . . . some of both chase vodka with their soft drink of choice, but in every such chase — the pot at the end of the rainbow is filled with happiness, not gold! Perhaps this explains why thousands of years ago, Aristotle concluded:
Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life; the whole aim and end of human existence.
Given the importance of happiness, WalletHub put together a list comparing the largest 180 U.S. cities, for the sake of ranking the "Happiest Cities in America."
Surprisingly according to researchers, people who earn $75,000 a year won’t increase happiness from earning more money. After all, though America is the wealthiest nation in the world, it barely cracked the top 20 on the World Happiness Report (ranked 18th).
With that being said, here are the 3 happiest cities in California.
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1. Fremont, California
Fremont ranked number one as the happiest city in not just California but across the nation! According to the ranking system, Fremont topped the list for "emotional and physical well-being."
Fremont has a population of roughly 240,000. Perhaps among the reasons for Fremont's residents scoring high in the emotional well-being area reflects the almost 55,000 lovely trees planted around the city.
From amply green parks to landscaped boulevards, Fremont is a member of Tree City USA. As for how trees relate to happiness, as Nora Waln once put it: "Trees give peace to the souls of men." Indeed, being surrounded by nature can do wonders for emotional and physical well-being.
Most of all, "the city of Fremont came in with the lowest separation and divorce rate in the nation and tied with San Francisco and Oakland for the lowest depression rate," Patch notes.
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2. San Jose, California
"Do you know the way to San Jose?" Dionne Warwick once sang. "I've been away so long."
San Jose happens to be not only "the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley" but also "the largest city in Northern California by both population and area."
San Jose annually ranks high on the BestPlaces Comfort Index. In other words, given its warm-summery feel known as Mediterranean climate, San Jose ranks among the most comfortable areas of California.
Sure, San Jose is at the heart of the wealthiest county in California, but as noted — once someone makes about 75 grand a year, whoever expects earning more equates to more happiness is bound to discover why it's long been said: "Money can't buy me happiness."
In short, San Jose also ranks 5th for the lowest separation and divorce rate in America. Perhaps the sweet-singing Warwick put it best:
Do you know the way to San Jose?
I'm going back to find
Some peace of mind in San Jose . . .
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3. Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa is known for having cool, not cold, winters; and warm, not hot, summers. Perhaps striking such a delicate balance forms the core fabric of the final city on the list, and 10th-happiest city in the nation.
According to Kristin Norton, not only is Santa Rosa "filled with people from all walks of life with various interests and hobbies" but also "home to a total of 65 parks offering everything from sweeping Sonoma County scenery to playgrounds and sports fields."
In short, with Santa Rosa ranking 7th overall for emotional and physical well-being, the common denominator for the 3 happiest cities in California appears to be this: the residents of each city scored high in the emotional and physical well-being category.