Madison was recently dubbed the 12th happiest city in the nation for its high emotional and well being statistics in a study done by WalletHub.
The study looked at 182 cities and considered numerous factors, such as adequate sleep rate, commute time, and separation and divorce rates. Rankings looked at three categories: emotional and physical well-being, income and employment, and community and environment. Madison ranked 13th, 30th and 19th in the respective categories.
Max Besbris, an associate chair for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Sociology, told the Daily Cardinal Madison’s placement could come from several elements.
“Access to green spaces, shorter commuting times and high-quality public infrastructure are, in general, associated with better health and well-being,” Besbris said. “So is higher education.”
College towns tend to have higher incomes and professional workers, according to the Atlantic, which may contribute to the ranking as well.
Haley Vindel Mejia, a Madison local and sophomore at UW-Madison, told the Cardinal she understands why Madison made twelfth place.
“Madison has a lot of diversity compared to a lot of Wisconsin, so there are communities for minority groups that might not be found elsewhere,” Vindel Mejia said. “People from Madison are proud to be from here.”
Madison was also ranked the 10th most caring city in another study by WalletHub looking at the same 182 cities. The criteria ranged from civic engagement and care for the environment to residents doing favors for neighbors.
Barbara Arnoff moved to Madison 10 years ago with her husband for a job opportunity, something she said attributes to her appreciation for Madison.
“The city is filled with opportunities, big and small,” Arnoff told the Cardinal. “I’m thankful fate pushed us in the right direction where there’s such community and love for all ages, beliefs, and lifestyles.”
Arnoff said her favorite things about Madison are the many outdoor spaces and diverse food options, something she attributes to the high population of college students.
Besbris noted the study may not consider all inequalities in Madison communities.
“Yes, Madison has a lot of high-quality, high-income jobs, but it also has a very high and rising price-to-income ratio and is rising on measures of income inequality,” Besbris said. “The ranking isn't looking at what it actually costs to survive in a place like Madison and is instead showing that the most advantaged are doing pretty well.”
He said people need freedom to spend their time how they want in order to be happy.
“When people are food insecure, housing insecure, can't get medical care or meet other basic needs, they aren't thriving,” Besbris said. “Madison, I think, does well in many of these areas, but it still exists in a country where these basic needs are out of reach for many.”
Vindel Mejia said the UW system’s success can sometimes overshadow local issues.
“UW brings in younger, happier people, but the bigger picture of MMSD and other districts does not have the same effect,” she said.
Dane County has one of the highest percentages of physicians per capita in Wisconsin at 12.8 physicians per 10,000 residents. This is more than any U.S. state's average and the national average. UW Health may contribute to this as the top hospital in Wisconsin.
