3 Colorado Cities Land In Top 20 Of 'Happiest Places' Survey

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) - Boulder is the happiest city in America. And Fort Collins isn't far behind.

That's according to a new report in National Geographic which came up with rankings for nearly 200 cities nationwide.

Dan Buettner, an author who writes for the magazine, and Gallup pollsters put together a system that "assesses measurable expressions of happiness" and Boulder came out on top.

Fort Collins also landed a No. 4 ranking and Colorado Springs came out at No. 18.

The system looked at several factors in the cities that were analyzed, including:

- Healthy food
- Civic engagement
- Financial security
- Vacation time
- Dental checkups

National Geographic's report credits Boulder for having low smoking and obesity rates, high rates of cycling and other forms of exercise, and even a large percentage of people who walk to work.

"In Boulder you're more likely to hear the whoosh of a cyclist than the shrill of a siren compared to places like Dallas, Tallahassee, or Los Angeles," Buettner said on NationalGeographic.com.