City named happiest in America with decent average salaries keeps attracting same complaint from locals

It has been crowned the ‘happiest place’ to live in America but some residents of the Golden State city have a major gripe about their hometown – the boredom!

Fremont, California, has been deemed the happiest city in America based on its financial stability, high life satisfaction and healthy living conditions, WalletHub revealed last month.

The San Francisco Bay city has earned this ranking five years in a row. 

It is widely known for nationally recognized public schools, gorgeous parks – such as the local-favorite Mission Peak Regional Preserve – and thriving economy.

However, with the high quality of life comes the unexpected side effect of boredom. 

Just ask Fremont-born director Sean Wang, whose 2024 movie ‘Didi’ was a semi-autobiographical tale about growing up in the city.

‘Me and my friends are always like, “Who’s voting on this?’” Wang told SFGate. But despite his disbelief, Wang find the quiet parts of his hometown are worth it.

‘The boring parts of Fremont made the best parts of Fremont for me,’ he added to the publication. 

‘You think about the things that were happening because of that sort of mundaneness.

‘We were creating our own fun. It’s in the movie – walking around, doing crazy stuff with your friends just to entertain each other.’

Analysts say an ‘ideal city’ has living conditions that ‘foster good mental and physical health’, including reasonable work hours, short commutes, good weather and caring neighbors. 

‘Well Fremont’s a great place to live, we have a lot of jobs, great parks, affordable housing, a lot of things for people to do,’ Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan said while speaking with Congressman Eric Swalwell about the ranking last month. 

‘Great for our youth, our seniors and it’s a great quality of life.’

However, not everyone was thrilled with Fremont’s title, with some social media users echoing Wang’s criticism and claiming it was undeserved.

‘Couldn’t pay me to live there,’ one man wrote on Facebook. 

‘Happiest to not be living there any more,’ a former Fremont resident chimed in. 

One woman devoted an entire post to her disagreement with the decision: ‘How is Fremont deemed the happiest city in America. WTH?’

‘It’s literally top boring – lived there for years,’ someone responded. 

‘I lived there. It was not very memorable. There’s not one thing I ever be like I miss this from when I lived in Fremont.’ 

But what can’t be missed about Fremont are the earnings of those who live there. 

WalletHub’s study also found that cities where a substantial percentage of residents earn annual salaries of at least $75,000 are likely to have greater happiness.

According to 2023 US Census data about Fremont, the average annual income is $75,673 for individuals and $176,350 for households. 

Additionally, Fremont is home to the first and largest Tesla manufacturing site, which directly employs more than 20,000 people. It was also the site of Apple’s first manufacturing facility.

Then there’s Mission Peak, a breathtaking vista just east of Fremont that offers impressive views of the city. 

In fact, one hiker Donna Johnson, who was preparing for a trip climbing up Mount Kilimanjaro, used Mission Peak as practice. 

Some 2,500 feet below, there’s also the town’s Central Park, which, although smaller than the original, offers a beautiful lake in the middle: Lake Elizabeth.

Beyond the ‘s natural beauty, DailyMail.com spoke with local businesses to get their takes on the fourth largest city in Silicon Valley. 

Genaro Lopez, the manager and part owner of Skillet’z Cafe in Fremont, praised the city for its kind people and scenery.

‘Fremont is a beautiful city so it’s beautiful to have a business, we’re definitely blessed to have a business here,’ the lifelong resident who has worked at Skillet’z for more than a decade.

‘It’s stressful sometimes, but it’s a blessing. It’s a lot of work you put in, a lot of your time.’

Lopez said all of his customers are ‘always happy, always smiling,’ as a result of the gorgeous parks and natural elements in the city. 

The family-owned restaurant serves up ‘homemade American diner food’ and has glowing Google food reviews. 

Amy Davis, the owner of another Fremont business called Banter Bookshop, shared Lopez’s enthusiasm. 

‘As a long time resident of Fremont, I am very happy to have been able to open a business in the community where I have lived for over two decades,’ Davis wrote to DailyMail.com.

‘The City of Fremont and the Economic Development team have been supportive of our business from the start, and fellow residents have been very welcoming. There is often a lot of friendly chatter in the bookshop!’

Banter Bookshop opened its doors in 2022, but as Davis said, she has lived in Fremont her entire life. She said she was ‘delighted’ when she heard of her city’s five-year streak. 

The bookshop not only sells reading materials, but hosts author events and book club meetings in order to bring the community closer together, Davis explained.  

Home to more than 226,200 residents, Fremont has more than 3,600 small business, according to Think Silicon Valley. 

Of those establishments, 68 percent are owned by women or minorities. Of those owners, 66 percent were born outside of the US. 

‘Fremont’s strength is found in the diversity of our community,’ the City of Fremont wrote on its website. 

‘More than 98 languages are spoken in Fremont homes and you can find almost any kind of delicious international cuisine you desire in our family-owned restaurants.’ 

Bay Area realtor-influencer Jess Williams shared the quaintness of the town with her followers, and highlighted another local gem: Tyme for Tea.

As she sipped on tea, some of the costumed waiters could be seen helping guests young and old in the background. 

In terms of security, WalletHub ranked Fremont the 24th safest US city. Two other California cities beat Fremont in this category – Irvine in 11th place and Chula Vista in 23rd out of 182 cities.

According to Security Gauge, Fremont’s violent crime rates are lower than the rest of the state’s and the national average.

The chances of being a victim of violent crime in Fremont are one in 443, while those odds increase on the state-level to one in 197. 

However, property crimes in Fremont are more common than in the rest of California. 

Every one in 34 Fremont residents will experience a property-related crime, while one in 43 Californians will experience one. 

In fact, Skillet’z was targeted last march when a thief broke into the restaurant and snatched its safe, NBC reported. 

Co-owner Priscilla Bravo wrote in a Facebook post, featuring a video of the restaurant’s shattered glass door: ‘THEY BROKE INTO SKILLETZ AND THEY TOOK EVERYTHING WE WORK SO HARD FOR!!! 

‘THEY LITERALLY TOOK ALL OF OUR HARD WORK!!!! WE ALL WORK 7 DAYS A WEEK DOUBLES AND THEY TOOK IT ALL!!!’

Bravo told NBC she broke down in tears after the incident. The restaurant has to shut down for weeks to repair damages. 

In October 2024, some Fremont residents told the Tri-City Voice they wished the city was doing more to prioritize safety. 

‘I don’t feel like being out at night, I’m afraid I could get mugged,’ Wendy Locher told the outlet. 

‘Everybody blames the homeless people, but really it’s the punks and people who want free stuff in life.’

Over the past few years, Fremont and other Bay Area neighborhoods have seen a rise in homelessness, the city reported. 

There are about 800 homeless people living in Fremont, according to ABC7.

In February, the city council passed an ordinance that makes it illegal for people to set up encampments.

The measure originally also targeted anyone who is ‘causing, permitting, aiding, abetting or concealing’ a homeless encampment. 

This would mean anyone enabling a homeless encampment can be charged with a misdemeanor, punishable with a $1,000 fine and six months in jail. 

But last month, the city walked back that part of the plan.  

‘We’ve repeated so many times that this whole aiding and abetting thing was never meant to you know to refer food water, medical supplies, any of that to people,’ Councilmember Raymond Liu said last month. 

In response to the ordinance, which many have dubbed controversial, 36 charitable organizations are suing the city to stop the law’s enforcement.