Happiest US cities; where Wisconsin's rank in study
MILWAUKEE - One of Wisconsin's largest cities was named the third happiest in the nation, according to a WalletHub study.
The credit reporting website released its rankings of 2023’s Happiest Cities in America – tallying 182 of the nation's largest cities. Madison ranked third, while Milwaukee took the 109th spot.
On its website, WalletHub said it weighed "various findings of positive-psychology research" to rank the cities. It looked at 30 "key indicators of happiness" – such as depression rates, leisure time and income-growth rate.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
Both Madison and Milwaukee had emotional/physical well-being ranked as their strongest happiness factor – ranking fifth and 83rd in the nation, respectively. Madison also ranked second in terms of best adequate-sleep rate nationwide.
The top overall happiness score went to Fremont, California – which ranked first in both emotional/physical well-being and community/environment. San Jose, California ranked second. The top city in terms of income/employment – which was WalletHub's third main criteria – was Burlington, Vermont.
WalletHub placed Detroit as the least happy city overall and last in terms of adequate-sleep rate. Huntington, West Virginia was considered the most depressed.
In addition, WalletHub said the U.S. ranked 16th on the World Happiness Report. Read more about the findings, including methodology, on WalletHub's website.