1 MD City Ranked Among Happiest In U.S.: Study

BALTIMORE, MD — Only Maryland city is among 90 cities ranked for happiness nationwide, according to a new study from Smart Asset.

The study evaluated cities across the country using 11 metrics including life expectancy, household income, infrastructure and rate of marriage.

Arlington, Virginia, placed No. 1 on the list nationwide.

Baltimore was the only Maryland city on the list at No. 46. Here's how the city fared on key benchmarks:

• Households earning $100,000 or more: 26.5%
• Number of mentally unhealthy days per 30: 4.5
• Life expectancy: 77.5 years
• Marriage rate: 28.4%

The 10 happiest cities in the country are:

1. Arlington, Virginia
2. Plano, Texas
3. Fremont, California
4. San Jose, California
5. Seattle, Washington
6. Boise City, Idaho
7. Raleigh, North Carolina
8. Chesapeake, Virginia
9. San Francisco, California
10. Anchorage, Alaska

Check out the full list from Smart Asset here.

Data and Methodology

Ninety of the largest U.S. cities for which data was available were evaluated across three categories: personal finance, well being, and quality of life. Data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau 1-Year American Community Survey for 2022 and the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps for 2023.

Personal finance metrics included the percent of individuals earnings $100,000 or more. Well being measures noted life expectancy and the percent of residents who have health insurance. Quality of life data included the marriage rate and average traffic on major roads in the county.