3 Cities In San Diego County Among Happiest In America: Study

SAN DIEGO, CA — Three cities in San Diego County are among the happiest cities in the country, according to a new study by WalletHub.

The personal finance website published a report Tuesday that ranked the happiest cities in the U.S., and three San Diego area cities made the list.

San Diego ranked 15th among the happiest cities, with a "strong balance across key happiness factors," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo told Patch. The city ranked 21st in emotional and physical well-being, 23rd in community and environment, and 27th in income and employment, which suggests a "well-rounded quality of life."

Chula Vista ranked 27th and Oceanside ranked 43rd, according to the study.

"San Diego's solid placement can be attributed to its sunny weather, strong job market, and vibrant social scene, all of which contribute to overall happiness," Lupo told Patch. "However, while it outperforms many cities, its ranking outside the top 10 suggests room for improvement, particularly in areas like work-life balance or affordability. Still, for those seeking a mix of economic opportunity and an enjoyable lifestyle, San Diego remains one of the best choices in the nation."

A total of 16 cities in California ranked among the top 50. Five Golden State cities made the top 10, with three of them taking the first three spots on the list.

According to the study, Fremont is the most ideal city, as the Bay Area community ranked as the happiest city in the country. Fremont has the highest share of households with an income above $75,000, the report found.

Money, however, can only bring so much happiness. Although the U.S. is one of the richest countries, it ranks only 23rd on the World Happiness Report.

"Research shows that having more money only increases your happiness until you're making at least $75,000 per year — anything more you earn likely won’t have an impact," Lupo said. "Therefore, when deciding where to live to maximize your happiness, you'll want to pick a city that offers more than just a decent average income. The ideal city provides conditions that foster good mental and physical health, like reasonable work hours, short commutes, good weather, and caring neighbors."

In addition to income, Fremont topped the list because the people in the city also have the highest rate of life satisfaction, the fourth-highest average life expectancy, and the fifth-lowest depression rate in the country, according to the study.

WalletHub compared 182 of the largest cities in America across 29 key indicators of happiness, ranging from depression and suicide rates to income-growth rate and job satisfaction.

Each relevant metric was listed with its corresponding weight. The cities were then scored on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the happiest city possible.

These are the 10 happiest cities in the U.S. in 2025, according to WalletHub:

1. Fremont, California: 73.54
2. San Jose, California: 69.34
3. Irvine, California: 69.32
4. Sioux Falls, South Dakota: 68.66
5. Overland Park, Kansas: 66.93
6. Lincoln, Nebraska: 66.59
7. Madison, Wisconsin: 65.83
8. Scottsdale, Arizona: 65.17
9. San Francisco, California: 64.96
10. Huntington Beach, California: 64.70

See the full list on WalletHub.