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Ever wondered where in the country people are happiest? Better yet, what cities in your state have the secret sauce for happiness?
Just like where you work and what you do, where you live can have major implications for your quality of life. We set out to find the cities in Kansas where life is sweetest, the wages are high, and people aren’t wasting their lives away in cars,
The results? Happiness comes in small packages.
The result is this list of the best cities for :
- Bel Aire, KS
- Andover, KS
- Eudora, KS
- Olathe, KS
- Mcpherson, KS
- Derby, KS
- Valley Center, KS
- Lenexa, KS
- Shawnee, KS
- Hays, KS
These are the happiest places in Kansas. Keep reading to see what has everyone grinning so much.
How did we determined the happiest places to live in Kansas?
We turned happiness into a science and scoured the state to find the cities with all the ingredients for happiness:
- Being well educated (Population with at least a bachelor’s degree)
- Percent of households earning above $75,000
- Median home prices
- A short commute to work (Traffic = unhappiness)
- Having a family (Getting, and staying married, has a ton of happiness benefits, on average)
We examined over 61 cities, to find the cities that have all of the above in spades.
While some may be confused to see marriage rates included in our metrics, studies show that married people are typically happier than unmarried people. However, it is worth noting that marriage doesn’t cause happiness. In fact, people leaving a bad marriage experience spikes of happiness. However, a happy marriage and positive social interactions are important for mood and mental health.
Similarly, if you’re scratching your head to see $75,000 as the cut-off for happiness, blame Purdue University. Their study found that amount meets basic needs and frees people from the pitfalls of deep financial insecurity that cause unhappiness.
All of our data comes from the most recent American Community Survey.
Keep reading for more on why each of these 10 places is brimming with happiness—or hop to the bottom to see where your city landed on the list.
1. Bel Aire
Population: 7,671
Earners Over $75k: 58.3%
Average Commute: 17
Marriage Rate: 38.0%
Bel Aire is the happiest city in all of Kansas. What makes Bel Aire residents so happy? They aren’t wasting their lives on long commutes for one. The average Bel Aire resident only drives 17.3 minuted to work. Toss in affordable housing and the fact that most Bel Aire residents are coming home to a loving partner and it’s easy to see the city has a lot going for it.
2. Andover
Population: 12,862
Earners Over $75k: 58.7%
Average Commute: 20
Marriage Rate: 27.0%
In 2nd place we have Andover. Residents of Andover are highly educated, with an impressive 51.0% having at least a bachelor’s degree. And in this modern day, education means options, and folks in Andover have plenty of them.
3. Eudora
Population: 6,745
Earners Over $75k: 52.6%
Average Commute: 25
Marriage Rate: 35.0%
Eudora is the third happiest city in Kansas. Why so happy? 35.0% of Eudora residents come home to a partner to share their life burdens. Bonus? Short commutes give them more time to spend with all their loved ones or on hobbies they enjoy.
4. Olathe
Population: 135,986
Earners Over $75k: 55.9%
Average Commute: 21
Marriage Rate: 18.0%
Folks in Olathe have a lot to smile about. An impressive 55.9% of Olathe households earn $75,000 or more. That means families in Olathe can afford peace of mind.
5. Mcpherson
Population: 13,041
Earners Over $75k: 34.1%
Average Commute: 10
Marriage Rate: 34.0%
McPherson is the 5th happiest city in the whole state. McPherson residents’ moods are kept high by reasonable home prices (the median home price in this Kansas city is only $140,400), happy marriages, and short commutes.
6. Derby
Population: 23,768
Earners Over $75k: 46.9%
Average Commute: 19
Marriage Rate: 29.0%
Looking to relocate? Data says you should give Derby a second look because it has all the ingredients for happiness. A staggering 46.9% of households earn over 75,000. Toss in high marriage rates and reasonable commutes, and it’s easy to see those who call Derby home have a lot to be happy about.
7. Valley Center
Population: 6,747
Earners Over $75k: 45.4%
Average Commute: 21
Marriage Rate: 39.0%
Valley Center is the 7th happiest city. Valley Center residents pull in respectable salaries and manage to do it, on average, within 21.9 minutes of their home. They can use all that extra time saved from a long commute to indulge in hobbies they’re passionate about.
8. Lenexa
Population: 53,051
Earners Over $75k: 55.8%
Average Commute: 19
Marriage Rate: 18.0%
Lenexa residents are highly educated with good incomes, decent marriage rates, and reasonable commutes. What’s not to be happy about?
9. Shawnee
Population: 65,239
Earners Over $75k: 55.4%
Average Commute: 21
Marriage Rate: 20.0%
The 9th happiest city in all of Kansas is Shawnee. The average commute in Shawnee is only 21.5 minutes. That means they are only 21.5 minutes away from the loving spouse 20.0% of them have.
10. Hays
Population: 20,956
Earners Over $75k: 31.5%
Average Commute: 10
Marriage Rate: 32.0%
In 10th place is Hays, Kansas. What makes Hays so great? Affordable housing, reasonable commutes, and healthy incomes. If happiness is contagious, moving here might be worth a try.
And that’s our list of the happiest cities in Kansas
There you have it, happiness is a place.
While we can’t guarantee everyone living and working in the top 10 cities is happy, they have a better chance the most.
If you are looking to improve your own happiness, check out how you can help improve your personal factors: housing costs, job satisfaction, income, and education.
If your city didn’t make the top 10, check out the list below to see whether it missed the cut by a hair or if folks there are struggling to escape despair.
Detailed List Of The Happiest Cities In
| Rank | City | High Earners |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bel Aire | 58.3% |
| 2 | Andover | 58.7% |
| 3 | Eudora | 52.6% |
| 4 | Olathe | 55.9% |
| 5 | Mcpherson | 34.1% |
| 6 | Derby | 46.9% |
| 7 | Valley Center | 45.4% |
| 8 | Lenexa | 55.8% |
| 9 | Shawnee | 55.4% |
| 10 | Hays | 31.5% |
| 11 | Leawood | 75.4% |
| 12 | Gardner | 51.2% |
| 13 | Prairie Village | 59.5% |
| 14 | Basehor | 54.2% |
| 15 | Spring Hill | 49.2% |
| 16 | Lansing | 55.0% |
| 17 | Overland Park | 54.4% |
| 18 | Park City | 45.0% |
| 19 | Colby | 31.2% |
| 20 | Mulvane | 41.5% |
| 21 | De Soto | 37.6% |
| 22 | Tonganoxie | 49.3% |
| 23 | Augusta | 32.2% |
| 24 | Garden City | 33.9% |
| 25 | Leavenworth | 36.9% |
| 26 | Bonner Springs | 39.7% |
| 27 | Paola | 38.2% |
| 28 | Abilene | 27.8% |
| 29 | Newton | 27.1% |
| 30 | Manhattan | 30.8% |
| 31 | Dodge City | 30.2% |
| 32 | Salina | 28.0% |
| 33 | Wichita | 31.7% |
| 34 | Lawrence | 33.1% |
| 35 | Great Bend | 29.3% |
| 36 | Roeland Park | 47.2% |
| 37 | Parsons | 21.0% |
| 38 | Mission | 37.6% |
| 39 | Merriam | 40.1% |
| 40 | Ulysses | 34.1% |
| 41 | Junction City | 28.2% |
| 42 | Winfield | 28.0% |
| 43 | Topeka | 28.4% |
| 44 | Chanute | 15.4% |
| 45 | Pratt | 25.6% |
| 46 | El Dorado | 26.9% |
| 47 | Haysville | 27.9% |
| 48 | Ottawa | 27.0% |
| 49 | Emporia | 21.6% |
| 50 | Wellington | 25.6% |
| 51 | Atchison | 25.2% |
| 52 | Hutchinson | 26.7% |
| 53 | Iola | 17.6% |
| 54 | Liberal | 27.6% |
| 55 | Concordia | 17.4% |
| 56 | Pittsburg | 17.9% |
| 57 | Fort Scott | 17.5% |
| 58 | Arkansas City | 20.8% |
| 59 | Independence | 19.0% |
| 60 | Kansas City | 24.6% |
| 61 | Coffeyville | 22.0% |
Author
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
