California Cities Among Happiest Places in US
Santa Cruz ranks #2 Happiest Place to Live in the U.S. America’s happiest cities were determined using 15 metrics that included walkability, healthful food options and civic engagement. National Geographic Explorer Dan Buettner, along with National Geographic and Gallup, quantified a population’s happiness for others to enjoy in a Top 25 list.
Santa Cruz features famed Monterey Bay lined with sandy beaches – framed by mountains filled with redwood forests, an old-fashioned beach boardwalk with amusement rides, the state’s longest pier (Santa Cruz Wharf), free summer concerts on the beach with top name acts, world-class surfing and spectacular UC Santa Cruz.
Happy Cities California
2. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
6. San Jose
12. Santa Maria – Santa Barbara
13. Salinas
17. San Francisco
23. San Diego
Happiest Cities USA
1. Boulder, CO
3. Charlottesville, VA
4. Fort Collins, CO
7. Provo, UT
8. Bridgeport, CT
9. Barnstable Town, MA
10. Anchorage, AK
11. Naples, FL
14. Sarasota, FL
15. Urban Honolulu, HI
16. Ann Arbor, MI
18. Colorado Springs, CO
19. Manchester, NH
21. Washington, DC
22. Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
24. Portland, ME
25. Austin, TX
Happy
- favored by fortune
- lucky: a happy, fruitful land
- delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing
- characterized by pleasure, contentment, or joy
