They say happiness runs in circular motions, but apparently that circle isn’t 285 and the happiness running through Atlanta pales in comparison to dozens of other cities.
At least according to a new report released by personal finance website, WalletHub, which ranked the happiest cities in the nation.
Atlanta just barely squeaked into the top 100. Coming in at No. 91, the report gave the city overall poor marks on a variety of factors tied to happiness.
Now, before you find yourself getting cranky, keep in mind that just last fall, a separate WalletHub study said Georgia is the 17th happiest state in the country.
With that in mind, here’s a look at some of WalletHub’s reasoning for the recent rankings. The researchers compared more than 180 of the country’s largest cities across “key indicators of happiness.” The indicators were separated into three main categories: emotional and physical well being; income and employment and community and environment.
Within those three categories, WalletHub looked at 30 factors, including income-growth rate, leisure time, physical health index, job security and satisfaction, acres of parkland and ideal weather. See the full list of metrics here.
“What people might not realize is that where you live may also determine how happy you are,” the WalletHub report reads. “But not everywhere in the U.S. experiences a uniform level of happiness. As this study aims to illustrate, moving to a certain city may help you be more content.”
After crunching the numbers, Atlanta came in at the 91st happiest city in the country, right between Portland and Orlando.
Here’s a look at Atlanta’s overall marks:
Emotional and physical well being rank: 70
Income and employment rank: 110
Community and environment rank: 111
If you’re looking to pack up and head for happier turf, WalletHub says Fremont, California is the happiest city in the country. It’s joined in the top five by Plano, Texas; San Jose, California; and Madison, Wisconsin.
Bringing up the caboose, the report ranked Cleveland; Huntington, West Virginia; Toledo, Ohio; Charleston, West Virginia; and Detroit in the bottom five spots.
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