Burlington and South Burlington Rank High in Listing of “America’s Happiest Cities”

South Burlington, VT ranked # 6 and Burlington, VT # 5 in WalletHub’s ranking of the “Happiest Cities in America.” Of the three major categories assessed, Burlington ranked #1 in the report’s “Income and Employment” category and South Burlington ranked #8 for “Emotional and Physical Well-Being.”

In further break-outs, South Burlington topped the category for “Highest Adequate-Sleep Rate,” and Burlington aced the “Fewest Work Hours” Category

WalletHub drew upon the various findings of positive-psychology research in order to determine which among more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities is home to the happiest people in America. They examined each city based on 31 key indicators of happiness, ranging from the depression rate to the income-growth rate to average leisure time spent per day.

In reporting on the study, WalletHub said “Location plays a hand in how bright or gloomy our days are. For years, researchers have studied the science of happiness and found that its key ingredients include a positive mental state, healthy body, strong social connections, job satisfaction and financial well-being. However, money can only make you so happy – people who make $75,000 a year won’t get any higher satisfaction from more money.”