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30 Unhappiest Cities in America
Rabeeta Abbas
15 min read

In This Article:

In this article, we list the 30 Unhappiest Cities in America. If you would like to skip our detailed analysis of the topic, you can go directly to the 10 Unhappiest Cities in America.

According to a 2022 report published by Oracle, 45% of people have not felt true happiness for more than two years, while 25% have forgotten what it means to feel truly happy. While happiness is subjective, several factors play a part in making people unhappy. 

For instance, a research paper by NBER finds that the population density of an area and happiness in communities are closely linked. It finds that average population density in the 20% of most miserable communities in Canada was more than eight times greater than in the happiest 20% of communities. Therefore concluding that living in highly dense cities like metropolitan areas reduces average happiness levels.

Additionally, economic well-being has a major effect on happiness as well, especially in urban living. Although there is a common perception that cities offer amenities that lead to happiness, there’s evidence that urban living does not necessarily mean more happiness in individuals. 

According to the NIH study, happiness and well-being increase as income increases. In the study, the researchers decided to look at incomes above and below $100,000 per year. They found out that those American participants making less than $100,000 per year get unhappier as income decreases. On the contrary, those making more than $100,000 per year are less miserable, and once incomes cross $100,000 per year and people make more money, the level of peak happiness grows even faster. 

However, while higher income does buy you happiness, other mental-health deteriorating factors in cities, like high costs of living, greater inequality, social isolation, noise, and pollution, can offset the benefits of higher incomes. But for many people, especially Gen Z and Millennials, emotional and physical well-being is more important than job perks such as high salary. According to the Securian Financial survey, 73% of Generation Z and 74% of Millennial employees have utilized the mental health benefits that their employers offered. 

People are realizing now more than ever before the importance of happiness and its effect on their emotional and physical well-being. Happiness brings out positive emotions, produces a pleasant mood, and makes your attitude soft towards yourself and others around you. Additionally, happiness protects the heart physically by lowering heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormone levels. Safe to say, happiness is not only a state of mind but also a crucial component for maintaining physical health.

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