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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 North Carolina 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 :
- Summerfield, NC
- Ogden, NC
- Oak Ridge, NC
- Rolesville, NC
- Weddington, NC
- Morrisville, NC
- Myrtle Grove, NC
- Winterville, NC
- Clemmons, NC
- Apex, NC
These are the happiest places in North Carolina. Keep reading to see what has everyone grinning so much.
How did we determined the happiest places to live in North Carolina?
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 152 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. Summerfield
Population: 11,044
Earners Over $75k: 62.4%
Average Commute: 24
Marriage Rate: 25.0%
Summerfield is the happiest city in all of North Carolina. What makes Summerfield residents so happy? They aren’t wasting their lives on long commutes for one. The average Summerfield resident only drives 24.2 minuted to work. Toss in affordable housing and the fact that most Summerfield residents are coming home to a loving partner and it’s easy to see the city has a lot going for it.
2. Ogden
Population: 7,692
Earners Over $75k: 54.5%
Average Commute: 21
Marriage Rate: 24.0%
In 2nd place we have Ogden. Residents of Ogden are highly educated, with an impressive 49.0% having at least a bachelor’s degree. And in this modern day, education means options, and folks in Ogden have plenty of them.
3. Oak Ridge
Population: 6,829
Earners Over $75k: 72.7%
Average Commute: 26
Marriage Rate: 22.0%
Oak Ridge is the third happiest city in North Carolina. Why so happy? 22.0% of Oak Ridge 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. Rolesville
Population: 6,957
Earners Over $75k: 64.3%
Average Commute: 32
Marriage Rate: 25.0%
Folks in Rolesville have a lot to smile about. An impressive 64.3% of Rolesville households earn $75,000 or more. That means families in Rolesville can afford peace of mind.
5. Weddington
Population: 10,574
Earners Over $75k: 79.2%
Average Commute: 30
Marriage Rate: 19.0%
Weddington is the 5th happiest city in the whole state. Weddington residents’ moods are kept high by reasonable home prices (the median home price in this North Carolina city is only $443,600), happy marriages, and short commutes.
6. Morrisville
Population: 25,007
Earners Over $75k: 64.6%
Average Commute: 21
Marriage Rate: 6.0%
Looking to relocate? Data says you should give Morrisville a second look because it has all the ingredients for happiness. A staggering 64.6% of households earn over 75,000. Toss in high marriage rates and reasonable commutes, and it’s easy to see those who call Morrisville home have a lot to be happy about.
7. Myrtle Grove
Population: 10,563
Earners Over $75k: 51.9%
Average Commute: 22
Marriage Rate: 25.0%
Myrtle Grove is the 7th happiest city. Myrtle Grove residents pull in respectable salaries and manage to do it, on average, within 22.8 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. Winterville
Population: 9,546
Earners Over $75k: 47.7%
Average Commute: 22
Marriage Rate: 32.0%
Winterville residents are highly educated with good incomes, decent marriage rates, and reasonable commutes. What’s not to be happy about?
9. Clemmons
Population: 20,050
Earners Over $75k: 46.8%
Average Commute: 21
Marriage Rate: 24.0%
The 9th happiest city in all of North Carolina is Clemmons. The average commute in Clemmons is only 21.8 minutes. That means they are only 21.8 minutes away from the loving spouse 24.0% of them have.
10. Apex
Population: 48,254
Earners Over $75k: 67.8%
Average Commute: 24
Marriage Rate: 10.0%
In 10th place is Apex, North Carolina. What makes Apex 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 North Carolina
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 | Summerfield | 62.4% |
| 2 | Ogden | 54.5% |
| 3 | Oak Ridge | 72.7% |
| 4 | Rolesville | 64.3% |
| 5 | Weddington | 79.2% |
| 6 | Morrisville | 64.6% |
| 7 | Myrtle Grove | 51.9% |
| 8 | Winterville | 47.7% |
| 9 | Clemmons | 46.8% |
| 10 | Apex | 67.8% |
| 11 | Gibsonville | 42.6% |
| 12 | Cary | 62.8% |
| 13 | Marvin | 76.8% |
| 14 | Holly Springs | 68.5% |
| 15 | Lewisville | 52.3% |
| 16 | Stokesdale | 51.5% |
| 17 | Davidson | 70.7% |
| 18 | Wesley Chapel | 69.3% |
| 19 | Harrisburg | 62.7% |
| 20 | Wake Forest | 57.3% |
| 21 | Waxhaw | 66.1% |
| 22 | Chapel Hill | 47.5% |
| 23 | Huntersville | 62.4% |
| 24 | Stallings | 56.4% |
| 25 | Fletcher | 40.7% |
| 26 | Mills River | 42.2% |
| 27 | Porters Neck | 57.4% |
| 28 | Belmont | 46.9% |
| 29 | Lake Norman Of Catawba | 52.9% |
| 30 | Mebane | 37.0% |
| 31 | Hampstead | 45.0% |
| 32 | Unionville | 49.8% |
| 33 | Fuquay-Varina | 49.6% |
| 34 | Hillsborough | 38.6% |
| 35 | Murraysville | 37.5% |
| 36 | Kings Grant | 36.9% |
| 37 | Mooresville | 44.1% |
| 38 | Matthews | 52.5% |
| 39 | Indian Trail | 52.7% |
| 40 | Cornelius | 57.0% |
| 41 | Pinehurst | 53.9% |
| 42 | Morehead City | 27.6% |
| 43 | Elon | 36.2% |
| 44 | Oak Island | 41.5% |
| 45 | Conover | 35.6% |
| 46 | Clayton | 41.5% |
| 47 | Silver Lake | 31.2% |
| 48 | Knightdale | 45.4% |
| 49 | Trinity | 29.7% |
| 50 | Concord | 43.5% |
| 51 | Carrboro | 41.3% |
| 52 | Raleigh | 42.6% |
| 53 | Asheville | 30.2% |
| 54 | James City | 30.4% |
| 55 | Garner | 41.0% |
| 56 | Wilmington | 29.2% |
| 57 | Black Mountain | 28.7% |
| 58 | Carolina Beach | 49.4% |
| 59 | Aberdeen | 27.2% |
| 60 | High Point | 29.1% |
| 61 | Hickory | 29.5% |
| 62 | Mint Hill | 47.0% |
| 63 | Durham | 38.2% |
| 64 | Wendell | 34.8% |
| 65 | Leland | 43.5% |
| 66 | St. Stephens | 23.3% |
| 67 | Archdale | 34.6% |
| 68 | St. James | 67.7% |
| 69 | King | 39.1% |
| 70 | Southern Pines | 40.3% |
| 71 | Roanoke Rapids | 22.0% |
| 72 | Kernersville | 34.9% |
| 73 | Wilson | 24.3% |
| 74 | Mount Holly | 35.6% |
| 75 | Nashville | 31.1% |
| 76 | Greensboro | 29.1% |
| 77 | Waynesville | 23.2% |
| 78 | Winston-Salem | 28.3% |
| 79 | Charlotte | 40.9% |
| 80 | Morganton | 24.3% |
| 81 | Jacksonville | 20.7% |
| 82 | Wrightsboro | 27.6% |
| 83 | Havelock | 23.8% |
| 84 | Hope Mills | 26.0% |
| 85 | Brevard | 21.7% |
| 86 | Washington | 17.4% |
| 87 | Rocky Mount | 23.1% |
| 88 | Zebulon | 29.6% |
| 89 | Kannapolis | 30.1% |
| 90 | Cullowhee | 17.9% |
| 91 | Sanford | 27.8% |
| 92 | Clinton | 20.4% |
| 93 | Greenville | 23.0% |
| 94 | Statesville | 21.8% |
| 95 | Kill Devil Hills | 27.0% |
| 96 | Cherryville | 23.4% |
| 97 | Walke | 26.0% |
| 98 | Boone | 15.6% |
| 99 | Whiteville | 22.3% |
| 100 | Pineville | 27.6% |
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.
