EVERYONE say thank you to Hannah Montana because, as it turns out, you can have the best of both worlds. A Midwest metropolitan with plenty of nature has earned the title of the happiest in the country. Minneapolis scored the highly coveted spot on The Institute for Quality of Life's yearly Happy City Index .
The institute explained that they determine their list by analyzing the happiness of actual residents in each city. "The ranking was created on the basis of thousands of indicators thoroughly developed by our researchers that directly relate to the quality of life and the sense of happiness of its residents," the site's methodology site said. "Importantly, we do not analyze the happiness of an imaginary individual in every location in the world, but people actually living in these cities.
" While no city is "one size fits all," the institute determined that the small city of Aarhus, Denmark, with over 260,000 residents in just 35 square miles of land, is the happiest city in the world. A few spots down at 18th place internationally is Minneapolis, taking the top spot as the happiest city in the U.S .
Minneapolis' topography clearly explains why residents may be satisfied with their quality of life. For one, the city boasts a "world-class" park system, earning it the title "Land of 10,000 Lakes." While the epithet may be a bit of a stretch, its intent rings true, considering the city's 6,800-acre park system boasts 22 lakes, 12 gardens, 180 parks, and seven golf courses.
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