In 2025, unhappiness is quietly spreading across American cities, affecting millions of residents.
This detailed ranking of the 20 cities where unhappiness is taking hold in America reveals how factors like high depression rates, low job satisfaction, and struggling local communities shape overall life satisfaction.
From economic challenges in Detroit and Memphis to community and environmental concerns in cities like Cleveland and Jackson, these rankings shed light on why certain places feel less hopeful.
Dive into the data-driven insights behind these rankings to understand what’s driving discontent, and see if your city is among those most affected by rising unhappiness.
1: Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan, holds the distinction of being ranked as the least happy city in America, with a total unhappiness score of 31.43.
Its significantly low ranking is primarily driven by its performance in the Income & Employment category, where it is ranked 182nd out of 182 cities.
This indicates profound challenges related to factors such as the share of households earning above $75,000, job satisfaction, unemployment rates, and bankruptcy rates.
Furthermore, Detroit’s Emotional & Physical Well-Being rank is 180th, suggesting concerns with depression rates, adequate sleep, life expectancy, or life satisfaction.
The city also ranks poorly in Community & Environment at 176th, implying issues with separation/divorce rates or hate crime incidents.
2: Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio, is identified as the second unhappiest city in the WalletHub study, with a total score of 34.83.
A significant contributor to its low ranking is its performance in the Community & Environment category, where it ranks 182nd, making it the unhappiest city in this specific area.
This suggests severe issues related to factors such as separation and divorce rates, ideal weather conditions, or hate crime incidents per capita.
Cleveland also struggles considerably in Emotional & Physical Well-Being, ranking 172nd, indicating challenges with residents’ depression rates or life satisfaction.
Its Income & Employment rank is also quite low at 161st, pointing to difficulties with job satisfaction or unemployment.
3: Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama, ranks as the third unhappiest city with a total score of 35.70. The city exhibits particularly low rankings in both Emotional & Physical Well-Being and Income & Employment, with a rank of 177th in both categories.
This suggests significant struggles in areas like depression rates, life expectancy, and adequate sleep, alongside challenges in job satisfaction, unemployment rates, and the share of households with incomes above $75,000.
Its Community & Environment rank is also concerning at 167th, implying difficulties with community cohesion, environmental factors, or social support.
Overall, Montgomery’s performance across all three core happiness metrics places it among the least happy cities.
4: Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama, is the fourth unhappiest city, achieving a total score of 36.22. Its most significant challenge lies within the Community & Environment category, where it is ranked 180th out of 182 cities.
This indicates severe issues related to factors such as separation and divorce rates, ideal weather conditions, or hate crime incidents per capita.
The city also faces considerable struggles in Emotional & Physical Well-Being, ranking 171st, which suggests concerns about residents’ depression rates, adequate sleep, or overall life satisfaction.
While its Income & Employment rank is comparatively higher at 148th, it still reflects economic hurdles that contribute to Birmingham’s overall low happiness score.
5: Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana, ranks as the fifth unhappiest city in the study, with a total score of 36.54. The city’s happiness is notably impacted by its very low ranking in Emotional & Physical Well-Being, at 179th.
This indicates significant challenges related to residents’ mental and physical health, including factors like depression rates, adequate sleep, life expectancy, or general life satisfaction.
Shreveport also shows considerable weakness in Income & Employment, ranking 173rd, suggesting issues with job satisfaction, unemployment rates, or economic stability for its households.
Although its Community & Environment rank of 140 is relatively better than its other categories, it still contributes to its overall low happiness standing.
6: Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia, despite ranking as the sixth unhappiest city overall with a total score of 37.31, presents a unique profile.
It holds the distinction of being the absolute unhappiest city (182nd) in the Emotional & Physical Well-Being category.
This suggests profound challenges in areas such as depression rates, adequate sleep, life expectancy, and life satisfaction among its residents.
Surprisingly, Huntington performs exceptionally well in the Income & Employment and Community & Environment categories, ranking 18th and 22nd respectively.
These high rankings indicate strong economic factors like job satisfaction and community aspects such as low separation rates, yet they are overshadowed by severe emotional and physical well-being issues.
7: Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio, is the seventh unhappiest city in America, with a total score of 37.51. The city demonstrates consistently low performance across all three major happiness categories.
Its Emotional & Physical Well-Being rank is 174th, indicating struggles with residents’ mental and physical health factors like depression rates or life expectancy.
In the Income & Employment category, Toledo ranks 164th, suggesting challenges related to job satisfaction, unemployment rates, or the share of households with incomes above $75,000.
Furthermore, its Community & Environment rank of 166th points to difficulties with social cohesion, separation/divorce rates, or environmental conditions. These cumulative low rankings contribute to Toledo’s position among the unhappiest cities.
8: Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi, ranks as the eighth unhappiest city in the WalletHub study, with a total score of 38.79. The city shows particularly concerning results in its economic and community aspects.
It ranks a very low 178th in Income & Employment, suggesting significant issues with residents’ financial well-being, including job satisfaction, unemployment, or bankruptcy rates.
Jackson’s Community & Environment rank is almost as low at 177th, indicating challenges related to social support, separation/divorce rates, or hate crime incidents.
Its Emotional & Physical Well-Being rank of 161st further contributes to the overall low happiness level, pointing to concerns about depression rates or life satisfaction.
9: Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama, is the ninth unhappiest city with a total score of 38.97. The city’s position is largely influenced by its poor performance in emotional and economic well-being.
Mobile ranks a concerning 175th in Emotional & Physical Well-Being, indicating potential issues with residents’ depression rates, adequate sleep, life expectancy, or overall life satisfaction.
Its Income & Employment rank is also very low at 172nd, suggesting struggles with job satisfaction, unemployment rates, or the percentage of high-income households.
While its Community & Environment rank of 107th is notably better than its other categories, it’s not enough to significantly boost its overall happiness score.
10: Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio, ranks as the tenth unhappiest city in the WalletHub analysis, with a total score of 39.15. The city’s Community & Environment category shows a particularly low rank of 175th, suggesting significant challenges related to factors such as separation and divorce rates, ideal weather conditions, or hate crime incidents per capita.
Its Emotional & Physical Well-Being rank is 166th, indicating concerns about residents’ overall health and happiness, including depression rates or life expectancy.
While its Income & Employment rank of 145th is relatively higher, it still reflects considerable economic hurdles that contribute to Akron’s overall low happiness.
11: Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport, Mississippi, is the eleventh unhappiest city in the study, with a total score of 39.25. The city’s low ranking is influenced by its consistently poor performance across all three main categories of happiness.
It ranks 173rd in Emotional & Physical Well-Being, indicating potential issues with residents’ mental health, sleep adequacy, life expectancy, or life satisfaction.
In terms of Income & Employment, Gulfport is ranked 162nd, suggesting challenges related to job satisfaction, unemployment rates, or the share of households with incomes above $75,000.
Its Community & Environment rank of 146th also contributes to its overall low standing, pointing to difficulties with social cohesion or environmental factors.
12: Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia, ranks as the twelfth unhappiest city, with a total score of 39.44. The city’s weakest area is Community & Environment, where it holds a very low rank of 178th.
This suggests significant challenges related to social cohesion, separation/divorce rates, ideal weather, or hate crime incidents per capita.
Augusta also struggles in Emotional & Physical Well-Being, ranking 163rd, indicating potential issues with depression rates, adequate sleep, or life satisfaction among its residents.
Its Income & Employment rank of 156th further contributes to the overall low happiness score, highlighting economic hurdles such as unemployment or low job satisfaction.
13: Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee, is the thirteenth unhappiest city, registering a total score of 39.85. A primary factor in its low ranking is its extremely poor performance in the Income & Employment category, where it is ranked 181st out of 182 cities.
This suggests profound challenges concerning job satisfaction, high unemployment, high bankruptcy rates, or a low share of households earning above $75,000.
Memphis also faces significant hurdles in Emotional & Physical Well-Being (158th) and Community & Environment (159th).
These consistently low rankings across key dimensions of happiness, including depression rates and social cohesion, place Memphis among the cities where unhappiness is taking hold.
14: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is tied as the fourteenth unhappiest city, with a total score of 40.10. The city’s Community & Environment category is a significant area of concern, ranking at a very low 171st.
This suggests challenges related to social factors like separation/divorce rates, or incidents of hate crimes per capita.
Baton Rouge also struggles in Emotional & Physical Well-Being, ranking 167th, which points to issues with residents’ mental or physical health, adequate sleep, or overall life satisfaction.
While its Income & Employment rank of 114th is considerably better than other unhappiest cities, reflecting relatively fewer economic struggles, it still contributes to its overall low happiness score.
15: Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith, Arkansas, ties for the fourteenth unhappiest city with a total score of 40.10, but presents a highly contrasting profile.
It ranks an alarming 181st in Emotional & Physical Well-Being, indicating severe challenges related to depression rates, life expectancy, adequate sleep, or overall life satisfaction among its residents.
However, Fort Smith shows exceptional strength in its Income & Employment category, ranking 9th nationwide. Its Community & Environment rank of 106th is also relatively moderate.
This unusual combination suggests that despite strong economic prospects, there are deep-seated issues affecting the residents’ emotional and physical health in Fort Smith.
16: Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville, North Carolina, ranks as the sixteenth unhappiest city with a total score of 40.56. The city exhibits consistently low rankings across all three categories contributing to happiness.
Its Emotional & Physical Well-Being rank is 170th, suggesting potential issues with residents’ depression rates, adequate sleep, life expectancy, or overall life satisfaction.
In the Income & Employment category, Fayetteville ranks 146th, indicating challenges related to job satisfaction, unemployment, or the proportion of high-income households.
Its Community & Environment rank of 152nd further contributes to its overall low standing, pointing to difficulties with social cohesion, separation/divorce rates, or environmental factors.
17: Columbus, Georgia
Columbus, Georgia, is identified as the seventeenth unhappiest city, with a total score of 40.91. The city consistently ranks low across all happiness metrics.
Its Emotional & Physical Well-Being rank is 168th, indicating potential struggles with residents’ mental and physical health, such as depression rates or life expectancy.
In the Income & Employment category, Columbus ranks 142nd, suggesting challenges related to job satisfaction, unemployment rates, or economic stability for its households.
Its Community & Environment rank of 148th also contributes to its overall low happiness score, implying difficulties with social cohesion, separation/divorce rates, or environmental conditions.
18: San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas, ranks as the eighteenth unhappiest city, with a total score of 42.31. The city’s Community & Environment category shows a notably low rank of 169th, suggesting significant challenges related to factors such as separation and divorce rates, ideal weather, or hate crime incidents per capita.
Its Emotional & Physical Well-Being rank is 155th, indicating concerns about residents’ overall health and happiness, including depression rates, adequate sleep, or life satisfaction.
While its Income & Employment rank of 130th is comparatively better, reflecting fewer economic struggles than other cities on this list, it still contributes to San Antonio’s overall low standing among the 182 cities studied.
19: St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri, is the nineteenth unhappiest city, with a total score of 42.99. The city struggles significantly in the Income & Employment category, where it ranks 166th.
This suggests challenges related to job satisfaction, unemployment rates, or the share of households with incomes above $75,000.
Its Community & Environment rank of 147th also indicates difficulties with social aspects like separation/divorce rates or environmental factors.
While its Emotional & Physical Well-Being rank of 149th is relatively higher compared to many other cities on this list, it still reflects concerns about residents’ health and life satisfaction, contributing to its overall low happiness score.
20: Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock, Texas, rounds out the list as the twentieth unhappiest city, with a total score of 43.17. Similar to a few other cities on this list, Lubbock presents a mixed profile.
It ranks notably low in Emotional & Physical Well-Being at 164th, suggesting potential issues with residents’ depression rates, adequate sleep, life expectancy, or life satisfaction.
Its Community & Environment rank is 155th, indicating challenges in social cohesion, separation/divorce rates, or environmental aspects.
However, Lubbock performs relatively well in the Income & Employment category, ranking 47th nationwide, which suggests better economic conditions compared to its other low scores.
Alicia Richards