This California Town Is the Happiest City in America—for the Seventh Year Running

One Bay Area city continues its reign.

Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont

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Written by Blake Bakkila March 20, 2026

The Bay Area is home to tech giants, world-famous wineries, and the happiest city in the country. Fremont, California, has claimed the number one spot yet again, according to WalletHub’s annual report on the Happiest Cities in the United States.

Fremont is continuing its reign for a number of reasons, and the report’s methodology analyzed emotional and physical well-being, income and employment rates, and community- and environment-related factors. The city topped the list for emotional and physical well-being overall, scored highest for life satisfaction, and had the lowest separation and divorce rate.

Per the report, which compared 182 of the largest cities in the U.S., some of this “happiness” is attributed to the residents’ average yearly income. Fremont scored highest for the number of household incomes above $75,000, which the study identifies as a Goldilocks-level for annual earnings.

“Research shows that having more money only increases your happiness until you’re making at least $75,000 per year,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo shared in the announcement. “Anything more you earn likely won’t have an impact.”

Fremont isn’t the only Western city earning laurels this year. Scottsdale, Arizona, which came in eighth place in 2025, climbed to third, most notably because of residents’ emotional and physical health scores. The study found that about 87 percent of Scottsdale residents participate in physical activities, and the city had the third-lowest rate of adults taking 14 or more “mentally unhealthy days” per month.

Scottsdale, Arizona canal waterfront
Scottsdale, Arizona

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Just a short drive southeast in Gilbert, high scores for sports participation and low separation and divorce rates brought the city into the ninth spot. Two more California cities, Irvine and San Jose, rounded out the top 10.

You can review 2026’s 20 happiest cities below:

  1. Fremont, CA
  2. Bismarck, ND
  3. Scottsdale, AZ
  4. South Burlington, VT
  5. Fargo, ND
  6. Overland Park, KS
  7. Charleston, SC
  8. Irvine, CA
  9. Gilbert, AZ
  10. San Jose, CA
  11. Burlington, VT
  12. Madison, WI
  13. Columbia, MD
  14. Chandler, AZ
  15. Seattle, WA
  16. Plano, TX
  17. San Francisco, CA
  18. Lincoln, NE
  19. Portland, ME
  20. Tempe, AZ
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