For the third year in a row, Fremont, California, has earned the title of Happiest City in the United States. The 2022 WalletHub study, released on March 1, compared 182 of the largest U.S. cities across 30 key indicators of happiness, focusing on the areas of emotional and physical well-being, income and employment, and community and environment. Fremont scored best overall once again, as it has done in 2020 and 2021.
This suburb of San Jose has a population 236,000 and also nets high ratings for public schools, family life, diversity, and nightlife on Niche.com.
What’s the vibe of this mid-sized Northern California city? A Niche reviewer reports, “While caught between major urban cities, Fremont retains the vibe of a large but cozy suburban town. With its increasingly diverse population, Fremont brings in cultural aspects from every part of the world, like in the city's architecture and cuisine.”
In the early days of film, more than 350 silent movies were shot in and around the Fremont area. This rich history is showcased at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum nearby, that also operates a silent film theater.
And Fremont boasts its very own ghost, the White Witch of Niles Valley.
Video Extra: Climb up Fremont’s Mission Peak with Little Life Table adventurer, Preeti (2020).
Related relocation story: Read “Where Do You Belong?”
Photo: Mission Peak as seen from Lake Elizabeth; Fremont CA; Wikimedia Commons/David Ball.