County checks in at No. 8 nationally on happy counties list
For the second year in a row, Douglas County, Colorado ranks in the top ten happiest Counties in the United States.
A recent study by SmartAsset has ranked Douglas County as the No. 8 happiest place in all of America — the only Western county to place in the Top 10.
The financial technology firm collected data on 981 U.S. counties with populations of at least 50,000 people, and analyzed metrics having to do with family stability, physical activity, personal financial health and economic security.
“To find the happiest counties, we looked at factors that allow people to enjoy life – things like having financial security and good health,” said A.J. Smith, VP of Content, SmartAsset. “So we analyzed data that included median income, life expectancy and physical activity,” she concluded.
The County — which was ranked No. 1 in the state for overall health behavior earlier in the year by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation — checked in at No. 2 for having the highest percent of its population receiving the recommended amount of weekly physical activity. According to SmartAsset, 68.75 percent of Douglas County residents receive at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of rigorous physical activity per week.
From a financial perspective, Douglas County has the highest income ratio of any county in the study and the eighth-highest median income of $102,626. Per economic security, the County’s low unemployment rate of 2.6 percent and poverty rate of 4.1 percent were both factors.
To see the full rankings and criteria, visit www.smartasset.com/mortgage/happiest-places-in-america
