VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Two Hampton Roads cities have made career website Zippia’s list of the “Top 10 Happiest Cities in America.”
Virginia Beach and Chesapeake made the list, coming in at eighth and ninth place respectively.
Several factors went into the list:
- Population with at least a bachelor’s degree
- Having a job, measured by the unemployment rate
- A short commute to work
- Low cost of living
- Having a family
- Owning a home
- And the poverty rate
According to Zippia, Virginia Beach has the 12th lowest poverty rate and the 13th lowest unemployment rate. Most Chesapeake residents are married and have a 25 minute commute to work. The study says most Chesapeake residents have health insurance and 67 percent of residents own their houses.
Data used in the study came from the 2010 – 2014 American Community Survey. Data was gathered from 200 of the largest cities in the United States.
