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TALKER STORIES, SMART MONEY, HEALTHY LIVING

WHICH U.S. CITIES ARE THE HAPPIEST?

Every year, the financial advice web site 'WalletHub' puts together a list of the 'Happiest Cities in America.' Find out where your city stands on this year's list. You may not be familiar with #1 but here's a hint... the tech boom may have helped kick it to the top of this list.

TV NEWS/DIGITAL VIDEO SCRIPTS (Tracked/Untracked Pkg & shorter VO/SOT version is available. Or use the full Zoom interview to write your own story below)
{**ON CAM**} WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? A NEW OUTFIT?... A MEAL AT YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT?... A STUDY SHOWS WHERE YOU LIVE... MIGHT BE MAKING A BIG IMPACT ON HOW HAPPY YOU ARE. KRISTINA GUERRERO RUNS DOWN THE LIST OF THE 'HAPPIEST CITIES IN AMERICA.' {**TAKE PKG**} "Music" {**VO**} FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA... AMERICA HAS A VARIETY OF BEAUTIFUL CITIES. BUT WHICH ONES SHINE BRIGHTER THAN THE REST WHEN IT COMES TO HAPPINESS? {**SOT**} "Location plays a very big role in happiness." {**VO**} EDITOR CHRISTIE MATHERNE (Muh-Thern) SAYS WALLET-HUB COMPARED MORE THAN 180 OF OUR LARGEST CITIES AND MEASURED 29 DIFFERENT METRICS. [CG: Christie Matherne, WalletHub Editor] {**SOT**} We divided those 29 metrics into three bigger categories. So emotional and physical wellbeing is the first one. Income and employment, and then community and environment. {**VO**} SHE SAYS RESEARCHERS PULLED DATA FROM MANY SOURCES INCLUDING THE U-S CENSUS BUREAU... THE F-B-I AND THE C-D-C. {**SOT**} "We looked at things like depression rates, suicide rates, income growth, job security, job satisfaction." [TRT=07 ] {**VO**} [Courtesy: City of Fremont, CA] FIRST ON THE LIST... A CITY WHERE THE SUN IS SHINING BRIGHT AND SO ARE EVERYONE'S SMILES! {**SOT**} "Fremont, California is the happiest city in America, partly because nearly 80% of its residents earn more than $75,000 a year." [TRT=12 ] {**VO**} FREMONT IS CLOSE TO SILICON VALLEY SO MANY OF ITS RESIDENTS ARE CASHING IN ON THE TECH INDUSTRY. {**SOT**} "There's also a high rate of life satisfaction, a low depression rate, and a long lifespan on average." [TRT=10] {**VO**} ROUNDING OUT THE TOP FIVE ARE... OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS... SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA... MADISON, WISCONSIN... AND IRVINE, CALIFORNIA. FOUR CALIFORNIA AND TWO HAWAIIAN CITIES HIT THE TOP TEN. {**SOT**} "What we're seeing is coastal tend rank higher in happiness metrics compared to cities in the Midwest, the south, and parts of the southwest." [TRT=09 ] {**VO**} SHE SAYS THE TOP FIVE CITIES ALL SCORED WELL INVOLVING ISSUES LIKE LOW DEPRESSION... ADEQUATE SLEEP... AND LOW DRUG USE. {**SOT**} "So what that shows me is that the happiest cities in America have their emotional and physical wellbeing dialed in. {**VO**} FROM COAST TO COAST... AMERICA'S HAPPIEST CITIES PROVE THAT HAPPINESS IS MORE THAN JUST A STATE OF MIND... IT'S A WAY OF LIFE! {**END PKG**} {**ON CAM TAG**} THE CITIES THAT LANDED AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS LIST ARE... MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA... CLEVELAND, OHIO... AND DETROIT MICHIGAN. IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THE U-S IS ONE OF THE RICHEST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD... IT RANKS FIFTEENTH ON THE WORLD HAPPINESS REPORT. YOU CAN SEE WALLET-HUB'S FULL LIST AND MORE DETAILS ABOUT THEIR FINDINGS ON OUR WEB SITE.... XXXX-DOT-COM. [Link: https://wallethub.com/edu/happiest-places-to-live/32619] _________________________ STORY FORMAT: VO/SOTVO {**ON CAM**} FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA... AMERICA HAS A VARIETY OF BEAUTIFUL CITIES. BUT WHICH ONES SHINE BRIGHTER THAN THE REST WHEN IT COMES TO HAPPINESS? {**TAKE VO**} WALLET-HUB COMPARED MORE THAN 180 OF OUR LARGEST CITIES. LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE INCOME LEVELS... JOB SATISFACTION... THE RATE OF DRUG USE... AND DEPRESSION. [Courtesy: City of Fremont, CA] AND WHICH CITY HAS THEIR RESIDENTS' HAPPINESS DIALED IN THE MOST... THEY SAY FREMONT, CALIFORNIA... WHICH IS NEAR SILICON VALLEY. [CG: Christie Matherne, WalletHub Editor] {**TAKE SOT/VO**} "Fremont, California is the happiest city in America, partly because nearly 80% of its residents earn more than $75,000 a year." "There's also a high rate of life satisfaction, a low depression rate, and a long lifespan on average." [OUTCUE: LONG LIFESPAN ON AVERAGE.] [TRT=17 ] {**VO**} ROUNDING OUT THE TOP FIVE ARE... OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS... SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA... MADISON, WISCONSIN... AND IRVINE, CALIFORNIA. IN FACT... FOUR CALIFORNIA AND TWO HAWAIIAN CITIES HIT THE TOP TEN. WALLET-HUB SAYS THESE CITIES SEEM TO HAVE A HANDLE ON THEIR RESIDENTS' EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL NEEDS. YOU CAN SEE WALLET-HUB'S FULL LIST AND MORE DETAILS ABOUT THEIR FINDINGS ON OUR WEB SITE.... XXXX-DOT-COM. [Link: https://wallethub.com/edu/happiest-places-to-live/32619] _________________________ TEASES FROM COAST TO COAST... SOME CITIES ARE BEAMING WITH JOY! COMING UP NEXT... WE'LL RUN DOWN THE LIST OF 'HAPPIEST CITIES IN AMERICA!' ### DOES WHERE YOU LIVE... DETERMINE HOW HAPPY YOU ARE? A NEW STUDY SAYS IT PLAYS A BIG PART. CAN YOU GUESS WHICH AMERICAN CITIES HAVE THE HAPPIEST RESIDENTS? WE'LL RUN DOWN THE LIST WHEN WE RETURN. ### IS YOUR CITY A HAPPINESS HOT-SPOT? COMING UP... WALLET-HUB HAS A LIST OF THE HAPPIEST CITIES ACROSS AMERICA! WE'LL TELL YOU WHICH ONES SCORED THE HIGHEST.
RADIO/PODCAST AUDIO SCRIPT
SUGGESTED LEAD: WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? A NEW OUTFIT?... A MEAL AT YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT?... A STUDY SHOWS WHERE YOU LIVE... MIGHT BE MAKING A BIG IMPACT ON HOW HAPPY YOU ARE. KRISTINA GUERRERO RUNS DOWN THE LIST OF THE 'HAPPIEST CITIES IN AMERICA.' (MP3 WRAP AUDIO) OQ: IT'S A WAY OF LIFE! OPTIONAL TAG: THE CITIES THAT LANDED AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS LIST ARE... MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA... CLEVELAND, OHIO... AND DETROIT MICHIGAN. IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THE U-S IS ONE OF THE RICHEST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD... IT RANKS FIFTEENTH ON THE WORLD HAPPINESS REPORT. YOU CAN SEE WALLET-HUB'S FULL LIST AND MORE DETAILS ABOUT THEIR FINDINGS ON OUR WEB SITE.... XXXX-DOT-COM. [Link: https://wallethub.com/edu/happiest-places-to-live/32619] ________________________ (MP3 WRAP) (MUSIC) FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA... AMERICA HAS A VARIETY OF BEAUTIFUL CITIES. BUT WHICH ONES SHINE BRIGHTER THAN THE REST WHEN IT COMES TO HAPPINESS? (CUT) ("Location plays a very big role in happiness.") TRT=02 OQ: BIG ROLE IN HAPPINESS. EDITOR CHRISTIE MATHERNE (Muh-Thern) SAYS WALLET-HUB COMPARED MORE THAN 180 OF OUR LARGEST CITIES AND MEASURED 29 DIFFERENT METRICS. (CUT) ("We divided those 29 metrics into three bigger categories. So emotional and physical wellbeing is the first one. Income and employment, and then community and environment.") TRT=11 OQ: COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENT. SHE SAYS RESEARCHERS PULLED DATA FROM MANY SOURCES INCLUDING THE U-S CENSUS BUREAU... THE F-B-I AND THE C-D-C. (CUT) ("We looked at things like depression rates, suicide rates, income growth, job security, job satisfaction.") TRT=07 OQ: JOB SECURITY, JOB SATISFACTION. FIRST ON THE LIST... A CITY WHERE THE SUN IS SHINING BRIGHT AND SO ARE EVERYONE'S SMILES! (CUT) ("Fremont, California is the happiest city in America, partly because nearly 80% of its residents earn more than $75,000 a year.") TRT=12 OQ: MORE THAN 75-THOUSAND A YEAR. FREMONT IS CLOSE TO SILICON VALLEY SO MANY OF ITS RESIDENTS ARE CASHING IN ON THE TECH INDUSTRY. (CUT) ("There's also a high rate of life satisfaction, a low depression rate, and a long lifespan on average.") TRT= 10 OQ: LIFESPAN ON AVERAGE. ROUNDING OUT THE TOP FIVE ARE... OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS... SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA... MADISON, WISCONSIN... AND IRVINE, CALIFORNIA. FOUR CALIFORNIA AND TWO HAWAII CITIES HIT THE TOP TEN. (CUT) ("What we're seeing is coastal tend rank higher in happiness metrics compared to cities in the Midwest, the south, and parts of the southwest.") TRT=09 OQ: HAWAII CITIES HIT THE TOP TEN. SHE SAYS THE TOP FIVE CITIES ALL SCORED WELL INVOLVING ISSUES LIKE LOW DEPRESSION... ADEQUATE SLEEP... AND LOW DRUG USE. (CUT) ("So what that shows me is that the happiest cities in America have their emotional and physical wellbeing dialed in.") TRT=09 OQ: WELLBEING DIALED IN. FROM COAST TO COAST... AMERICA'S HAPPIEST CITIES PROVE THAT HAPPINESS IS MORE THAN JUST A STATE OF MIND... IT'S A WAY OF LIFE! ### _________________________ STORY FORMAT: SHORTER WRAP VERSION (LEAD) FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA... AMERICA HAS A VARIETY OF BEAUTIFUL CITIES. BUT WHICH ONES SHINE BRIGHTER THAN THE REST WHEN IT COMES TO HAPPINESS? WALLET-HUB COMPARED MORE THAN 180 OF OUR LARGEST CITIES. LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE INCOME LEVELS... JOB SATISFACTION... THE RATE OF DRUG USE... AND DEPRESSION. AND WHICH CITY HAS THEIR RESIDENTS' HAPPINESS DIALED IN THE MOST... THEY SAY FREMONT, CALIFORNIA... WHICH IS NEAR SILICON VALLEY. (WRAP) ("Fremont, California is the happiest city in America, partly because nearly 80% of its residents earn more than $75,000 a year. There's also a high rate of life satisfaction, a low depression rate, and a long lifespan on average.") TRT=17 OQ: LIFESPAN ON AVERAGE. (TAG) ROUNDING OUT THE TOP FIVE ARE... OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS... SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA... MADISON, WISCONSIN... AND IRVINE, CALIFORNIA. IN FACT... FOUR CALIFORNIA AND TWO HAWAIIAN CITIES HIT THE TOP TEN. WALLET-HUB SAYS THESE CITIES SEEM TO HAVE A HANDLE ON THEIR RESIDENTS' EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL NEEDS. YOU CAN SEE WALLET-HUB'S FULL LIST AND MORE DETAILS ABOUT THEIR FINDINGS ON OUR WEB SITE.... XXXX-DOT-COM. [Link: https://wallethub.com/edu/happiest-places-to-live/32619] ### _________________________________________________________________________________ STORY FORMAT: TEASES FROM COAST TO COAST... SOME CITIES ARE BEAMING WITH JOY! COMING UP NEXT... WE'LL RUN DOWN THE LIST OF 'HAPPIEST CITIES IN AMERICA!' ### DOES WHERE YOU LIVE... DETERMINE HOW HAPPY YOU ARE? A NEW STUDY SAYS IT PLAYS A BIG PART. CAN YOU GUESS WHICH AMERICAN CITIES HAVE THE HAPPIEST RESIDENTS? WE'LL RUN DOWN THE LIST WHEN WE RETURN. ### IS YOUR CITY A HAPPINESS HOT-SPOT? COMING UP... WALLET-HUB HAS A LIST OF THE HAPPIEST CITIES ACROSS AMERICA! WE'LL TELL YOU WHICH ONES SCORED THE HIGHEST.
PRINT VERSION
STUDY REVEALS WHICH AMERICAN CITIES ARE THE HAPPIEST How much does your zip code, specifically where you live, impact how happy you are? WalletHub, a personal finance website, conducted a study of America's largest cities and ranked them from the most to the least happiest. According to WalletHub Editor, Christie Matherne, the science of happiness encompasses various elements contributing to overall well-being. These include maintaining positive mental health, physical wellness, strong social connections, job satisfaction, and financial stability. While income plays a crucial role, its impact on happiness tends to plateau beyond a certain threshold, generally around $75,000 per year. The study analyzed 182 cities across the United States, considering 29 relevant metrics sourced from reputable institutions such as the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI, CDC, and others. These metrics ranged from depression rates and income growth to leisure time and community engagement. Fremont, California emerged as the happiest city in America, followed closely by Overland Park, Kansas, San Jose, California, Madison, Wisconsin, and Irvine, California. These cities excelled in categories such as emotional and physical well-being, income and employment, and community environment. Conversely, cities like Detroit, Michigan, Cleveland, Ohio, Montgomery, Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, and Shreveport, Louisiana, found themselves among the least happy cities in the nation. These cities struggled with lower scores across the three overarching categories, indicating challenges in areas such as mental health, income growth, and community engagement. One notable finding from the study was the regional disparity in happiness levels. Coastal cities in states like California and Hawaii tended to rank higher in happiness metrics compared to cities in the Midwest, South, and parts of the Southwest. Factors influencing regional differences included income inequality, social support systems, and subjective well-being. The study's insights offer valuable information for individuals considering relocation or seeking to enhance their quality of life. By understanding the key determinants of happiness and how they vary across different cities, individuals can make more informed decisions about where to live. WalletHub's study provides a comprehensive analysis of happiness levels across American cities, highlighting the importance of factors such as income, community engagement, and overall well-being. As communities strive to improve their residents' quality of life, studies like these serve as valuable tools for policymakers, researchers, and community leaders. You can see the full list of America's Happiest Cities here: Link: https://wallethub.com/edu/happiest-places-to-live/32619
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