Why are Californians so happy?

[theking]

I can relate to a lot of the points  :

Why are Californians so happy?
California and its cities frequently top national happiness rankings.
By Gianna Melillo | Dec. 27, 2022

Story at a glance
Californians’ high quality of life helps push the state to the top of happiness rankings.
Greater wealth, good physical and mental health and interpersonal relationships play a role in residents’ overall happiness.
California boasts the highest life expectancy in the country and second lowest share of adult depression.
California cities, and the state itself, consistently rank among the happiest in the nation.

A recent recent SmartAsset analysis analysis deemed Sunnyvale, Calif., the happiest city in the country, while five other cities in the state also made the top 10.

A separate WalletHub list ranked California the seventh happiest state in the country, and the website also ranked six cities in the state among the top 10 happiest in its own analysis.

So, what does the Golden State and its cities have that others lack when it comes to maximizing happiness?

In many cases, the answer lies in the overall quality of life enjoyed by California residents.

“It turns out that Sunnyvale frequently rates highly in these sorts of rankings,” said Jennifer Garnett, communications officer for the city, in an interview with Changing America. Over the years, Sunnyvale has been named the safest city in America, the best place to live and the most relaxed city, Garnett said.

But a combination of factors drives the city’s overall happiness ratings, she added.

“We deliver exceptional services as a city. I think that’s one of the many reasons Sunnyvale is so attractive. But we’re also at the heart of Silicon Valley. And people come here from all over the world because of the great jobs, the weather, all the things to do, low crime, and all of those things combine into a great quality of life.”

Roseville, Calif., ranked seveth in SmartAsset’s list of happiest cities and also happens to be located near Silicon Valley — one of the largest technology hubs in the world.

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City Manager Dominick Casey cited similar reasons to Garnett’s when it comes to understanding the high levels of happiness.

“It really is a great city. It’s a safe city. It was well planned. We have great parks and trails and outdoor opportunities, great shopping and dining. And so there’s really something for everybody,” Casey told Changing America, adding “We care deeply about the quality of life.”

The median household income in California is around $10,000 higher than the U.S. median of $70,700, while the state has the largest economy in the country. Apart from Silicon Valley, California is a major hub for the film and television industries — all sectors that bring in high earnings.

And despite high housing costs in parts of the state, Californians also have some of the highest levels of disposable income.

Though not true in all cases, research shows that more money can lead to more happiness.

A 2021 study on more than 30,000 Americans found higher incomes are associated with feeling better on a day-to-day basis and improved life satisfaction.

Greater wealth can also lead to healthier living conditions, improved access to health care and protection against chronic diseases.

California has been ranked the ninth healthiest state overall by NiceRX, has the highest life expectancy for residents at 80.9 years and boasts the second lowest share of adult depression in the country.

“There is a correlation between financial resources and life satisfaction and well-being,” said Scott Glassman, director of the master of applied positive psychology program and clinical associate professor at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine — although this association can vary depending on how much an individual makes.

Gross domestic product has also been correlated with overall levels of happiness, he said.

Although whether a person considers themselves happy is partially based on genetics, “the environment determines on average, about 60 to 70 percent of whether we’re going to be happy or not,” Glassman told Changing America.

In California, several environmental factors could help contribute to a sense of happieness. The state is home to nine national parks, more than any other state in the country, and its residents report high levels of physical activity.

The most recent data from 2017 show around 70 percent of adults in California meet physical activity recommendation s, compared with that number sitting at just 53 percent of all American adults.

Physical activity has been linked with higher life satisfaction and happiness, while spending leisure time in green spaces is also linked with positive mental health impacts.

“There is a connection between being outdoors, being connected to nature and happiness,” said Glassman.

A 30-year analysis of daily sunlight data carried out by the CDC found Imperial County, Calif., is the sunniest place in the lower 48 states. California and the Southwest region as a whole get the most sun on an average day.

“We have great weather. We have great amenities,” Casey said about Roseville, Calif. “We’re a two-hour drive from the coast and a two-hour drive from Lake Tahoe. So you can be on the beach in two hours or skiing in two hours. And I think those definitely add to the happiness of the general area.”

The SmartAsset analysis also found the happiest California cities had lower percentages of people living in poverty, higher marriage rates and lower rates of violent crime.

Notably, good social relationships — whether in the form of friendships or romantic relationships — are also key to a happy life.

“The connection between marriage and subjective well-being is one of the most frequent associations appearing in positive psychology literature,” said Glassman. “Married people tend to be happier and enjoy greater life satisfaction than single people, regardless of age, income, education, and race.”

[DuMa]

Lets take for example yourself and your other self and model it with the non profit organization model.  In other words, by the end of the day, your income should zero out on December 31st.

One guy lives in Cali where his income is A million buck but his housing is so costly that by the end of the day, he has $0 income.  He lives in his million dollar home and has million dollar toys.

Then you got a guy making $10/hr like the hmoobrock who lives in a cheap home and buys walmart fishing gear for toys.  He too will have $0 at the end of the day.

Both guys ended up having $0 at the end of the day but one guy gets to live and thrive and play with expensive toys. 

Yes Cali is expensive to live here but for those who say it is expensive are those who are making $10/hr like a hmoobrock.  It is a fallacy to make such a comparison like how we would got to thailand to buy pad thai or kapoon for twenty five USD cents.  To us, that's dirt cheap but to the locals, that's a day's worth of work.  If you call their food cheap, the local there might get offended. 

So the people that makes more money and the people that makes less money all have the same daily problems.  It just that one guy has bigger problems while the other guy has smaller problems but it is the same problems nonetheless. 

I can thrive in Cali because I'm a city slicker and I'm comfortable here with a diversity of my minority people that I can relate to.  I tried living in MN and I just can't.  It was fun at first but everything wears out fast.  It is either you stick with the hmong community in st. Paul/Minneapolis and thrive or you branch out and thrive with the white folks from the suburb and think that you are a step better than your other hmong people that are still stuck in the hmong hood.  I don't have to say more.  You know what I'm talking about. 

[Reporter]

Californians are happy because Gov. Newsom has awesomely appointed two Hmong judges there. No other U.S. governor has done the same anywhere in the country.

[Hung_Low]

Yes, people are so happy with CA that it suffered population exodus yearly. I just don't understand why they are so happy in CA but are leaving it. And not just the low income normies either...

People leaving CA:
2020-2021  about 250,000
2021-2022  about 360,000
2022-2023 projected to be over a quarter million...

CA is the worst state comparing inbound vs outbound and the worst in homelessness and income inequality (this might be due to high techies/hollywood income vs normies income).

[hmgROCK]

The homeless people i saw living on the highway were definitely not happy

Yes living on the highway
I almost ran one with my rented car
Good thing it got powerful brake

 

[theking]

yeah i just make that stuff up

Just lied, dude

And WELPS so much for:

I ALREADY STOP CLICKUON THEM

 

[Dok_Champa]

It's the sun, they get a lot of sunshine = happy mood. 

[DuMa]

Yes, people are so happy with CA that it suffered population exodus yearly. I just don't understand why they are so happy in CA but are leaving it. And not just the low income normies either...

People leaving CA:
2020-2021  about 250,000
2021-2022  about 360,000
2022-2023 projected to be over a quarter million...

CA is the worst state comparing inbound vs outbound and the worst in homelessness and income inequality (this might be due to high techies/hollywood income vs normies income).

Going out, there is also those moving in as well.  The broke and can't afford to live in California are leaving while the educated and promising with a tech job and high earner are moving in. 

"Since 2010, about 7.5 million people moved from California to other states, while only 5.8 million people moved to California from other parts of the country. "

https://www.ppic.org/blog/whos-leaving-california-and-whos-moving-in/

When they say the great migration or moving out of california, what they really meant is those who moved from one expensive bay area city to a city in the boonies but still within california.   

[hmgROCK]

You sure man???
I saw homeless people living in the desert
Tent in the desert
Don’t even know how they get water

To be honest

I don’t think that’s happiness

[theking]

yeah i just make that stuff up

Just lied, dude

And WELPS so much for:

I ALREADY STOP CLICKUON THEM