California's happiest counties named: None are where state's biggest, bluest cities are located

Notably, Alpine County is the least populated county in the state, with only 12 respondents contributing to the survey results.Photo byTim MossholderonUnsplash

After nearly a year of research into the happiness of Californians, the California Select Committee on Happiness and Public Policy Outcomes has released a new report ranking the state’s 58 counties by their happiness levels. Alpine County, situated just south of Lake Tahoe, emerged as the happiest county in California, according to data sourced from the Gallup World Happiness Report. The report, based on surveys conducted between 2009 and 2018, asked residents to rate their happiness on a scale from 1 to 10.

Notably, Alpine County is the least populated county in the state, with only 12 respondents contributing to the survey results. When excluding Alpine, Marin County takes the top spot as the "happiest" county, boasting such a high happiness level that if it were a nation, it would rank as the seventh-happiest country in the world, nestled between the Netherlands and Canada.

Rounding out the top five happiest counties are Placer County, Yolo County, and San Luis Obispo County. The findings underscore the importance of happiness, with potential benefits including improved health and productivity for residents.