America's unhappiest city

Many Stockholmers (25%) would actually rather live in New York City than in Stockholm. But beware, Stockholmers, it's America’s least happy city. 

  • Stockholmers would actually rather live in New York City than in Stockholm. Or in London. But many are just as happy where they are.
  • We recently reported that 25 percent of people in Stockholm would rather live in New York City (Stockholmers prefer New York.
    If living in New York is your dream beware, it is America’s “most unhappy” city, according to a new scientific study. The study “Unhappy cities” recently published by the American Research Institute of the National Bureau of Economic Research, found New York to be the major city in the U.S. with the unhappiest inhabitants, followed by Pittsburgh and Louisville. Respondents were asked about how satisfied they feel in their lives. Answers to such questions can be interpreted as a proxy for happiness.
    Joshua Gottlieb, one of the study’s authors, however, told the Science Daily that the research shows that “people care about more than happiness alone. ..other factors may encourage them to stay in a city despite their unhappiness.” And yes, The Big Apple continues to draw people from all over the United States and the world. Researchers say that especially young often look at other aspects than happiness as being more crucial - such as a good job, or high pay - which might explain the metropolis’s attractiveness.