3 NC cities are among the happiest in America, report says. Here’s why
Happiness is subjective and thus, so is measuring it, but a new report says two of the happiest cities happen to be in North Carolina.
Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and County Health Rankings, SmartAsset released a report of the top metros where Americans are happiest. Comparing 90 of the largest cities across the country based on 11 “happiness metrics” related to personal finance, physical well-being and quality of life, Raleigh and Durham were among the top 10, and Charlotte made the top 20.
At the top of the list is Plano, Texas, followed by Raleigh at No. 3, Durham at No. 9. and Charlotte at No. 19.
What makes Raleigh a good place to live?
The report says:
Households earning $100,000 or more: 42.5%
Poverty rate: 10.3%
Households spending 50% or more of income on housing: 12.0%
Days with good mental health: 84.3%
Life expectancy: 80.99 years
Population covered by health insurance: 91.9%
Population with adequate access to physical activity: 98.6%
Rate of overcrowding: 2.0%
Marriage rate: 41.6%
What makes Durham a good place to live?
The report says:
Households earning $100,000 or more: 41.9%
Poverty rate: 10.0%
Households spending 50% or more of income on housing: 13.4%
Days with good mental health: 84.6%
Life expectancy: 79.19 years
Population covered by health insurance: 89.4%
Population with adequate access to physical activity: 90.7%
Rate of overcrowding: 2.9%
Marriage rate: 44.5%
This is a boost for both the state capital and Bull City, who scored higher rankings this year in comparison to the last. In SmartAsset’s 2024 report of the happiest cities in the U.S., Raleigh was ranked No. 7 on the list and Durham was No. 20.
What makes Charlotte a good place to live?
The report says:
- Households earning $100,000 or more: 41.0%
- Poverty rate: 11.3%
- Households spending 50% or more of income on housing: 14.3%
- Days with good mental health: 83.7%
- Life expectancy: 78.82 years
- Population covered by health insurance: 87.3%
- Population with adequate access to physical activity: 88.7%
- Rate of overcrowding: 2.3%
- Marriage rate: 40.9%
Growth in the Triangle
Raleigh and Durham are also some of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in North Carolina, with Wake County being the most populous county in the state, The News & Observer previously reported.
According to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Raleigh-Cary area population grew 10.5% from 2020 to 2024. For Durham-Chapel Hill, there was a 5.4% boost.
Other NC metros ranked among ‘happiest cities’
While Raleigh, Durham and Charlotte ranked among the top 20 happiest cities in SmartAsset’s report, Greensboro was ranked at No. 48.
You can find more details in the full report of the happiest cities in the U.S. online at smartasset.com.
This story was originally published April 8, 2025 at 10:46 AM with the headline "3 NC cities are among the happiest in America, report says. Here’s why."
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