If you’ve ever viewed a commercial for the state of California, you’ve likely seen happy people by the beach enjoying beautiful scenery.  Although the commercial is mostly made by movie magic and artificial intelligence, are there some states in the U.S. that are happier than others? A Fortune report seems to think so. And what state is 5 out of the top ten locations that have been deemed the happiest places to live? It’s California. 

How is happiness determined? Fortune “ranked cities based on 29 metrics of happiness, from depression rates to the income-growth rate to average leisure time spent per day. Each metric was ranked on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing maximum happiness.” (Freedman) It expanded its determination of happiness in an ideal city as one that provides “conditions that foster good mental and physical health, like reasonable work hours, short commutes, good weather, and caring neighbors.” (Freedman) Among those 5 California cities that rank in the top ten happiest places to live are Fremont, San Jose, Irvine, San Francisco, and Huntington Beach. Specifically, it found that Fremont, CA, has 80% of households with an income of $75,000, and had the “highest rate of life satisfaction, the fifth-lowest depression rate, and the fourth-highest average life expectancy in the country.” (Freedman) Fremont, CA, also has the lowest separation and divorce rates in the country, and the fewest reports of mentally unhealthy days per month. It was also ranked as the sixth most caring city in the country. 

Top 10 Happiest States in the US

1. Fremont, CA

2. San Jose, CA

3.    Irvine, CA

4.    Sioux Falls, SD

5.    Overland Park, KS

6.    Lincoln, NE

7.    Madison, WS

8.    Scottsdale, AZ

9.    San Francisco, CA

10. Huntington Beach, CA

Source: Ani Freedman

How important is happiness? The aftermath of Covid proved that many employees suffered from a lack of work-life balance, and they wanted it back.  This is evidenced daily as employees fail to report back to the office in spite of return-to-work mandates. However, the question of happiness really opens two crucial management topics: job satisfaction and meaningfulness.  

Job satisfaction is defined as a measure of the extent to which an employee feels positive or negative about their job.  The Marsh McClellan Agency expands on this definition by noting that job satisfaction is when workers feel content and fulfilled with their jobs. This is relevant as “93% of companies worry about employee retention” (McCelland) and happy workers tend to stay longer. There is also a relationship between job satisfaction and performance with studies indicating employees who are satisfied tend to perform better.  Meaningfulness is defined as the “sense of belonging to and serving something that you believe is bigger than the self.” (Kinicki) Meaningful work is important because it relates to positive job attitudes and behaviors.  There is also a strong relationship among meaningful work, organizational commitment, and citizenship behavior. That means that both job satisfaction and meaningfulness lead to happiness. 

Perhaps the 5 cities in California that are ranked as happiest in the country have found the secret recipe that promotes both job satisfaction and meaningfulness in their organizations. Until then, it’s back to work. 

References

Freedman, Ani. These are the 10 happiest cities in America, according to new research.

Kinicki, Angelo. Management: A Practical Introduction. McGraw Hill.

Marsh McClellan Agency. A complete guide to employee satisfaction in today’s workplace.

Stepanek, Sarah and Paul, Megan. Meaningful Work.