US cities where money buys you the most happiness
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A new report by Vegas Aces has revealed the top cities in the United States where money buys Americans the most happiness.
The online casino gaming company analyzed factors including average household incomes, life expectancies, quality of life scores, and depression rates of the 150 most populous U.S. cities. Based on these determining factors, they ranked the states and cities to determine where money can buy the most happiness.
Money buys the most happiness in Fremont, California
By the numbers:
Out of the 150 largest cities in the U.S., Fremont came out on top as the No. 1 ranked city where money can buy the most happiness. With a low depression rate of 13.6%, an average household income of $215,515, and a life expectancy of 82 years old, the study said that Fremont residents have the best odds in the U.S. of living a happy and healthy life.
FILE: U.S. dollar bank notes. (Credit: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
Overall, the top three cities where money buys Americans the most happiness were all located in California: Fremont, San Jose and San Francisco.
What they're saying:
"While money isn’t a cure-all for life’s challenges, it undeniably plays a significant role in improving quality of life," Andres Vargas, the head content editor at BetUS, said in a statement. "Financial security can provide greater freedom, stability, and opportunities – all key factors that contribute to overall happiness. While wealth alone may not guarantee joy, where you live can make a difference in how far your money goes toward a fulfilling lifestyle. With that in mind, we identified the U.S. cities and states where having more money offers the greatest potential for happiness."
Top cities where money buys the most happiness
- Fremont, CA
- San Jose, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Arlington, VA
- Irvine, CA
- Frisco, TX
- Scottsdale, AZ
- Cary, North Carolina
- Oakland, CA
- Gilbert, AZ
- Seattle, WA
- Santa Clarita, CA
- Honolulu, HI
- Jersey City, NJ
- Huntington Beach, CA
- Plano, TX
- San Diego, CA
- Atlanta, GA
- Washington DC
- Overland Park, KS
New Jersey ranked highest state
By the numbers:
When it comes to the state where money can buy the most happiness, New Jersey took the top spot. Residents of the Garden State had the lowest rate of depression at 13.9% and an average household income of $138,153, while reaching an average life expectancy of 79 years of age.
In line with the city data, California ranked as the No. 2 state where money buys the most happiness. The state of California had one of the lowest rates of people with depression (17%) and had a higher focus on health.
Top 5 states where money buys happiness
- New Jersey
- California
- Hawaii
- Massachusetts
- New York
Does money buy happiness?
Dig deeper:
Recent studies have shown that money may actually buy happiness.
A study, published last year by a student at Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, found a positive association between money and happiness.
RELATED: Does money buy happiness? A new study suggests it can
Matt Killingsworth, who has been tracking happiness for his large-scale research project, trackyourhappiness.org, sampled more than 33,000 employed U.S. adults who answered questions on a scale called "satisfaction with life."
The research found a consistent positive correlation between an increase in income and an increase in happiness. The data also found that the wealthiest individuals were considerably happier than the high earners in the income group.
The Source: The information for this story was provided by Vegas Aces, which analyzed factors including average household incomes, life expectancies, quality of life scores, and depression rates of the 150 most populous U.S. cities. This story was reported from Los Angeles.