Guess Which New England Cities Are Among The Happiest In The US

If you guessed Manchester-Nashua, New Hampshire and Portland-South Portland, Maine, you are correct. The Manchester-Nashua area is number 19 on the list of happiest cities, according to a study conducted by National Geographic, bestselling author Dan Buettner, and Gallup’s social scientists. The reason: "It’s just an hour’s drive from Boston, the Atlantic Coast, and the White Mountains."

Portland-South Portland was closer to the bottom of the list at number 24. Reason: "walkability, access to nature, and civic engagement.

Barnstable Town, Massachusetts on Cape Cod ranked much higher at number 9, due to its location.

The researchers looked at factors that make people happy, such as stress levels, diet, financial security and vacation time.

In case you're wondering, Boulder, Colorado is at the top of the list. The reason: "sense of community, access to nature, sustainable urban development and preservation policies, and clean mountain air."