Categories: Chicago

Chicago Ranked Among Happiest U.S. Cities in 2025 Study

Chicago has been named one of the happiest cities in the United States, coming in at No. 93 in WalletHub’s 2025 nationwide ranking. The city earned an overall happiness score of 53 out of 100 in the personal finance website’s annual report.

To determine the rankings, WalletHub compared 182 of the largest U.S. cities across 29 indicators tied to emotional, physical, and economic well-being. Metrics included depression rates, income levels, physical activity, and community engagement.

Chicago’s strongest performance came in the category of emotional and physical well-being, where it ranked 53rd nationwide. However, the city placed much lower—179th—in income and employment, underscoring ongoing economic disparities.

Illinois also performed relatively well overall, securing the No. 9 spot among all 50 states with a score of 54.4. In addition to Chicago, one other Illinois city was included in the study.

Fremont, California, topped the list as the happiest city in America, followed by San Jose, Irvine, Sioux Falls, and Overland Park. Hawaii led the state rankings with an overall score of 68.7.

WalletHub’s 2025 of Happiest U.S. Cities

RANK CITY STATE OVERALL SCORE EMOTIONAL & PHYSICAL WELL-BEING RANK INCOME & EMPLOYMENT RANK COMMUNITY & ENVIRONMENT RANK
1 Fremont California 73.5 1 93 4
2 San Jose California 69.3 3 45 10
3 Irvine California 69.3 2 62 14
4 Sioux Falls South Dakota 68.7 9 53 5
5 Overland Park Kansas 66.9 4 59 47
6 Lincoln Nebraska 66.6 25 51 1
7 Madison Wisconsin 65.8 15 24 9
8 Scottsdale Arizona 65.2 22 10 15
9 San Francisco California 65.0 6 68 43
10 Huntington Beach California 64.7 11 80 39
11 Omaha Nebraska 64.3 36 89 2
11 Bismarck North Dakota 64.3 10 30 84
13 Seattle Washington 64.1 5 4 135
14 Charleston South Carolina 63.9 20 9 48
15 San Diego California 63.8 21 27 23
16 Columbia Maryland 63.5 7 162 83
17 Plano Texas 62.8 13 66 51
18 Honolulu Hawaii 62.5 26 52 29
18 South Burlington Vermont 62.5 8 7 174
20 Garden Grove California 62.4 32 61 13
21 Nashua New Hampshire 62.0 50 105 3
22 Raleigh North Carolina 61.6 16 88 60
23 Burlington Vermont 61.4 27 1 152
24 Portland Maine 61.2 30 6 94
25 Gilbert Arizona 61.2 33 26 38
25 Pearl City Hawaii 61.2 14 144 112
27 Chula Vista California 61.2 35 77 22
28 Fargo North Dakota 60.9 24 32 107
29 Durham North Carolina 60.5 28 28 75
30 Anaheim California 60.4 38 70 32
31 Santa Clarita California 60.2 31 145 28
32 Santa Rosa California 60.1 47 38 35
33 Rapid City South Dakota 60.1 66 21 11
34 Oakland California 59.9 19 120 76
34 Minneapolis Minnesota 59.9 18 36 127
36 Jersey City New Jersey 59.8 17 154 67
37 Cedar Rapids Iowa 59.7 48 126 12
38 Glendale California 59.7 41 121 26
39 Pembroke Pines Florida 59.5 37 147 27
40 Chandler Arizona 59.5 43 43 49
41 Rancho Cucamonga California 59.3 56 79 24
41 Yonkers New York 59.3 23 141 90
43 Oceanside California 59.1 39 104 58
44 Chesapeake Virginia 59.0 55 86 31
45 Boston Massachusetts 58.9 40 18 97
46 Fort Lauderdale Florida 58.7 46 78 54
47 Manchester New Hampshire 58.6 77 81 6
48 Santa Ana California 58.5 68 23 33
48 Aurora Illinois 58.5 34 155 40
50 Cape Coral Florida 58.3 72 83 8
51 Boise Idaho 58.2 51 8 114
52 Charlotte North Carolina 58.1 42 102 61
52 Cheyenne Wyoming 58.1 73 39 25
54 Washington District of Columbia 58.1 12 94 173
55 Grand Rapids Michigan 57.7 83 19 19
56 Juneau Alaska 57.4 29 35 178
56 Missoula Montana 57.4 62 16 109
58 Anchorage Alaska 57.0 63 71 63
59 Austin Texas 56.9 44 22 142
60 Virginia Beach Virginia 56.9 59 92 57
61 Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 56.6 80 12 56
62 Warwick Rhode Island 56.5 57 129 59
63 Oxnard California 56.3 79 122 16
64 Peoria Arizona 56.1 67 91 70
65 Des Moines Iowa 55.9 70 112 45
66 Orlando Florida 55.8 78 5 102
67 Nampa Idaho 55.6 75 20 111
68 New York New York 55.5 54 156 64
69 St. Petersburg Florida 55.3 82 25 69
70 Tampa Florida 55.2 87 46 46
71 Tempe Arizona 55.2 61 17 167
72 Fontana California 55.1 99 72 17
73 Port St. Lucie Florida 54.9 96 49 36
74 Atlanta Georgia 54.8 58 90 129
75 Portland Oregon 54.8 49 96 148
76 Riverside California 54.6 88 41 65
77 Los Angeles California 54.5 71 107 81
78 St. Paul Minnesota 54.5 60 127 113
79 Colorado Springs Colorado 54.3 81 60 77
80 Casper Wyoming 54.1 116 84 7
81 Irving Texas 54.0 76 69 106
82 Miami Florida 54.0 74 13 151
83 Mesa Arizona 54.0 84 40 93
83 Worcester Massachusetts 54.0 90 99 53
85 Salt Lake City Utah 53.9 65 37 169
86 Ontario California 53.9 108 65 30
87 Long Beach California 53.6 69 148 87
88 Aurora Colorado 53.6 52 158 140
89 Moreno Valley California 53.6 104 110 20
90 Providence Rhode Island 53.5 120 11 52
91 Bridgeport Connecticut 53.4 86 170 18
92 Sacramento California 53.3 91 31 110
93 Chicago Illinois 53.0 53 179 99
94 Billings Montana 52.9 101 56 86
94 Henderson Nevada 52.9 92 128 55
96 Denver Colorado 52.8 45 136 171
97 New Haven Connecticut 52.7 126 47 34
98 Tallahassee Florida 52.6 111 33 78
99 Albuquerque New Mexico 52.4 89 64 120
100 Vancouver Washington 52.3 64 117 172
101 Garland Texas 52.2 93 115 85
102 Columbia South Carolina 51.9 107 67 80
103 Modesto California 51.7 122 74 50
104 Hialeah Florida 51.5 94 101 104
104 Reno Nevada 51.5 103 44 116
106 Phoenix Arizona 51.1 97 85 128
107 Wilmington Delaware 51.1 102 125 92
108 Huntsville Alabama 51.0 124 48 91
109 Las Cruces New Mexico 50.9 129 42 72
110 Winston-Salem North Carolina 50.7 105 108 96
110 West Valley City Utah 50.7 114 58 123
112 Stockton California 50.6 110 103 95
113 Grand Prairie Texas 50.4 106 146 82
114 Lexington-Fayette Kentucky 50.4 98 151 101
115 Tacoma Washington 50.2 85 133 161
116 Greensboro North Carolina 50.1 100 109 138
117 Oklahoma City Oklahoma 49.3 145 130 21
118 Nashville Tennessee 49.3 133 113 74
119 Jacksonville Florida 49.2 139 123 41
120 Glendale Arizona 49.1 115 97 131
121 Kansas City Missouri 48.9 113 134 124
122 Spokane Washington 48.8 135 14 150
123 Columbus Ohio 48.8 127 157 73
124 Dallas Texas 48.7 95 119 163
125 Fort Worth Texas 48.5 121 138 117
126 Fresno California 48.3 134 73 115
127 Bakersfield California 48.0 137 135 68
128 Arlington Texas 47.9 118 137 136
129 Newport News Virginia 47.9 123 143 139
130 Fort Wayne Indiana 47.8 132 153 89
131 Milwaukee Wisconsin 47.8 125 163 103
132 Wichita Kansas 47.8 119 118 149
133 Richmond Virginia 47.4 109 150 162
134 Salem Oregon 47.3 117 87 177
135 San Bernardino California 47.2 149 76 79
136 Rochester New York 47.1 136 95 145
137 Lewiston Maine 46.8 163 2 134
138 Newark New Jersey 46.7 112 174 143
139 New Orleans Louisiana 46.6 148 106 88
140 Philadelphia Pennsylvania 46.4 140 114 122
141 Norfolk Virginia 46.3 130 131 153
142 Tulsa Oklahoma 46.1 167 82 37
143 Dover Delaware 45.7 142 116 141
144 Springfield Missouri 45.7 165 63 62
145 North Las Vegas Nevada 45.6 151 160 66
146 Las Vegas Nevada 45.4 140 159 118
147 Indianapolis Indiana 45.3 138 173 98
148 Louisville Kentucky 45.2 131 177 126
149 Chattanooga Tennessee 44.9 160 124 71
150 Fayetteville North Carolina 44.7 152 132 119
151 Houston Texas 44.7 128 152 170
152 Laredo Texas 44.6 164 3 155
153 Buffalo New York 44.5 143 100 164
154 Cincinnati Ohio 44.3 156 140 108
155 Lubbock Texas 44.1 147 54 168
156 Amarillo Texas 44.1 157 98 133
157 Charleston West Virginia 43.9 171 15 132
158 El Paso Texas 43.9 150 139 144
159 Knoxville Tennessee 43.5 172 50 100
160 Little Rock Arkansas 43.1 153 149 154
161 Tucson Arizona 42.4 159 75 165
162 Baltimore Maryland 42.3 144 172 158
163 St. Louis Missouri 42.1 146 168 156
164 San Antonio Texas 42.1 154 111 175
165 Columbus Georgia 41.9 162 161 125
166 Baton Rouge Louisiana 41.7 169 142 121
167 Corpus Christi Texas 41.5 168 55 166
168 Shreveport Louisiana 40.8 173 178 42
169 Akron Ohio 40.0 174 164 105
170 Brownsville Texas 39.5 179 57 130
171 Augusta Georgia 39.3 161 167 176
172 Jackson Mississippi 39.2 155 180 180
173 Mobile Alabama 39.1 170 176 137
174 Montgomery Alabama 38.5 158 175 181
175 Huntington West Virginia 37.8 182 29 44
176 Birmingham Alabama 37.3 166 171 179
177 Toledo Ohio 36.3 180 165 146
178 Gulfport Mississippi 35.9 178 169 147
179 Fort Smith Arkansas 35.6 181 34 157
180 Memphis Tennessee 34.9 175 182 160
181 Detroit Michigan 34.2 177 181 159
182 Cleveland Ohio 34.0 176 166 182
Savion Buehler

Contributor

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Savion Buehler

Contributor

9 months ago

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