Want to Live in the Happiest City in the United States? Then Consider Moving to Naples, Florida.

According to legend, the famous Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon sailed to Florida in search of the Fountain of Youth. Unfortunately, he was never able to find the mythical fountain. His mistake? He probably should have been looking for the Fountain of Happiness, instead. If he had embarked upon that search, he may have actually discovered it in Florida — in the city of Naples, which topped Gallup’s 2015 Healthways Well-Being Index.

Gallup’s study measured how the residents in 190 cities in the United States felt about five important aspects of their well-being — their financial security, health, social ties as well as their sense of purpose and of community. And the winner was beautiful Naples.

About Naples

The city of Naples is located approximately 45 miles south of Fort Myers on the gorgeous Gulf of Mexico in southwest Florida. It is an affluent area where residents and visitors can enjoy shopping at numerous high-end stores and dining in the city’s many upscale restaurants. Naples is also home to a number of beautiful developments filled with luxury condos and multi-million-dollar homes with stunning water views.

Some of the city’s most exclusive real estate can be found in the Pelican Bay development. This community boasts 43 acres of parks and many amenities, including beach front restaurants, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and an art studio. Pelican Bay even offers beach transportation to its residents via solar-powered trams.

But Naples isn’t just for shop-a-holics. It is also a city surrounded by amazing natural beauty. The Naples area, for example, is home to the 14,000-acre Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, the 729,000-acre Big Cypress National Preserve as well as to the famous 1.5-million-acre Everglades National Park.

Why are Naples Residents Happy?

According to the Gallup study, residents in Naples have the lowest levels of stress in the United States. In addition, they enjoy a healthy lifestyle and reported that they love living in Naples.

The Worst City for Happiness

Residents may argue, but according to Gallup, the most miserable city in the United States is Charleston, West Virginia, which ranked dead last of the 190 cities included in the study. Why did this city do so poorly? According to the researchers who conducted the study, Charleston residents tended not take care of themselves, so they were physically out of shape. And many also reported being depressed. In addition, residents in this West Virginia town also worried about their financial security.

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