Wallet Hub releases results of Happiest Cities survey. (graphic/Wallet Hub)
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFGO/Prairie Public Broadcasting) – Friday, March 20, is the international Day of Happiness and in the lead up to that, the personal finance company WalletHub is out with its report on the happiest cities in the country for 2026.
“We compared 182 of the largest cities,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “That includes 150 of the most populated, across three key dimensions related to happiness. And those are emotional and physical well-being, income and employment, community and environment.”
Lupo said the metrics related to happiness run the gamut.
“Things such as depression rates, income growth rates, average leisure time spent per day — those types of things,” Lupo said. And he said those numbers turned up pretty well for two North Dakota cities.
“Bismarck came in at number two,” Lupo said. “And Fargo is in the top five.”
Lupo said that’s a remarkable achievement. But as for the neighboring states?
“There’s not a city in the neighboring states that cracks the top ten,” Lupo said. “The closest is Madison, Wisconsin, which is on the other side of Minnesota. So, it looks like North Dakota has the market cornered in happiness in the midwest and upper midwest.”
The survey’s happiest city is Fremont, California.
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