Neighborhood Flavor: Loudoun County, Virginia Ranked #1 Happiest County!

Local counties in Virginia and Maryland top a list of the happiest places in the United States.

SmartAsset ranks Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Virginia, as well as Howard County, Maryland, in the top 10.

#1: Loudoun County, Virginia

Loudoun County has grown rapidly in recent years. The population has exploded from less than 90,000 in 1990 to over 310,000 today. One reason for that growth? Loudoun County offers residents the highest quality of life of any major county in the U.S.

Loudoun County ranked in the top 20 out of the nearly 1,000 counties in SmartAsset’s study for six of the eight metrics we considered. The county’s poverty rate is just 3.6%, lowest of any major U.S. county. Meanwhile, the life expectancy of 82.6 ranks sixth and the marriage rate of 62.3% ranks 11th out of all U.S. counties with a population over 50,000.

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#3: Fairfax County, Virginia

With a population of more than 1.1 million, Fairfax County is the most populous county in Virginia, and the largest county to rank in the top 25 of SmartAsset’s analysis. Fairfax is one of the few U.S. counties with a median household income over $100,000 – but household income isn’t the only reason the county’s quality of life is so high.

The average life expectancy in Fairfax County is 83.1 years, third highest of any major U.S. county. Part of the reason for that longevity is likely that nearly 63% of the population exercises regularly. The U.S. average is 54.5%.

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#7: Howard County, Maryland

This Maryland County is located west of Baltimore and has the fifth lowest poverty rate of the nearly 1,000 counties in our study. Just 4.6% of Howard County’s population lives below the poverty line.

Howard County also has some of the best public schools in the country. The Howard County Public School system’s 2014 graduation rate of 92.85% is well above both state and national averages. While the quality of public education was not factored into our analysis, it is likely an important consideration for anyone thinking about moving to or buying a home in Howard County.

The company, which focuses on financial technology, says it collected data on every county in the country with at least 50,000 residents. It looked at eight metrics that reflect four factors to determine a region’s quality of life: family stability; physical health; personal financial health; and economic security.

Arlington, Virginia also snagged a spot at No. 22 on the list.

*Information provided by: https://smartasset.com/mortgage/happiest-places-in-america