New study reveals happiest cities in America, and they aren't where you'd expect

Americans searching for a happier place to live may want to look beyond the country's biggest and most well-known cities.

A new WalletHub study analyzing more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities found that overall happiness is driven by more than just income, factoring in mental health, physical well-being and community environment.

Instead of major hubs like New York or Los Angeles topping the list, smaller and mid-sized cities dominated the rankings.

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Fremont, California, ranked as the happiest city in America. It was followed by Bismarck, North Dakota, Scottsdale, Arizona, South Burlington, Vermont and Fargo, North Dakota.

Rounding out the top 10 were Overland Park, Kansas, Charleston, South Carolina, Irvine, California, Gilbert, Arizona and San Jose, California.

Higher salaries in large metro areas don't necessarily lead to greater happiness, the results suggest. Instead, quality of life appears to play a larger role.

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"Research shows that having more money only increases your happiness until you're making at least $75,000 per year - anything more you earn likely won't have an impact," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in a statement.

"Therefore, when deciding where to live to maximize your happiness, you'll want to pick a city that offers more than just a decent average income," he added.

Cities that ranked highest tended to perform well in areas such as emotional and physical well-being, job satisfaction and strong community ties.

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Fremont stood out in particular, ranking first in emotional and physical well-being and fourth in community environment.

The city also has one of the lowest separation and divorce rates in the country, along with a low depression rate and high life expectancy, the study noted.

Nearly 80% of Fremont households earn more than $75,000 annually, a key benchmark tied to happiness levels, according to the report.

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Fremont also ranks fifth among the most caring cities in America, WalletHub noted.

Together, those factors highlight what separates the happiest cities from the rest.

"The ideal city provides conditions that foster good mental and physical health, like reasonable work hours, short commutes, good weather and caring neighbors," Lupo said.