Overview
- Fremont led the index with nearly 80% of households earning above $75,000, the nation’s lowest separation and divorce rate at 9.3%, strong life satisfaction, low depression and high life expectancy.
- WalletHub highlights research that happiness gains typically level off around $75,000 in annual income, stressing non-financial drivers like short commutes, supportive neighbors and leisure time.
- California cities dominated the upper ranks, including Irvine (No. 8), San Jose (No. 10), San Francisco (No. 17), San Diego (No. 21) and Huntington Beach (No. 25).
- Detroit placed last at No. 182, alongside other low finishers such as Memphis, Shreveport, Cleveland and Huntington, West Virginia.
- Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan welcomed the designation and said “rankings are not the finish line,” as coverage varied on how many consecutive years the city has held No. 1.