According to a recent study done by Rebecca Lake (journalist for creditdonkey.com), Wichita Falls is the third happiest city in all of Texas. Her results were based on a ranking system of seven different categories:

1. Restaurants per capita: Wichita Falls has 1 per 465 inhabitants

2. Crime rate: Odds of being a victim of a violent crime in Wichita Falls is 1 in 222.1

3. Commute: Average commute time in Wichita Falls is 14.7 minutes

4. Departure time: Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m. in Wichita Falls is 4.8%

5. Income: Median household income in Wichita Falls is $44,390

6. Divorce rate: Percentage of residents divorced in Wichita Falls is 10.7% of males, 13% of females

7. Housing: Percentage of income spent on housing in Wichita Falls is 20.7%

According to the study,

Wichita Falls takes top honors in two different categories: the shortest average commute and the highest percentage of workers leaving home at the crack of dawn. It's definitely a worthy choice if you're looking for affordable housing and a decent paycheck. The divorce and crime rates are slightly higher compared to some of the other places on our list, but it's still a good alternative to a larger city like Dallas, which is about 140 miles away."

I’m no scientist, or journalist rather, but I agree with her findings. This quaint, little city of ours is a diamond in the rough. I hear too many people around me complain about our beloved town but this city is what you make of it. Think about it; you can get practically anywhere in town in 15 minutes or less, the cost of living here is almost the same as it was in the 90’s, our downtown has got to be the best, most tightly knit community of people that I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing, we have one of the best local music scenes around, and most everyone you know here you have known your entire life.

I've been fortunate enough to expand my horizons and live in other cities across this great country of ours and I came back to my good 'ole Texas home of Wichita Falls because this is where I knew my heart would be the happiest. Don’t’ get me wrong, I loved the new people that I got to meet and all the things that I got to see, but nothing compares to the feeling of being home with a support system of people that you KNOW love you. And not having an hour commute to work every day is nice too. In fact, this study could explain why so many people that move away from here end up moving back.

I can only hope that this article will change the mind of the naysayers out there that talk poorly about living here and turn their attitude around to help make it a better, even happier place to live. I’m locally grown and proud of it!

Here's the list of the 10 happiest cities in Texas:

  1. Midland
  2. Sugarland
  3. Wichita Falls
  4. Odessa
  5. Flower Mound
  6. Allen
  7. Richardson
  8. Plano
  9. League City
  10. Frisco

You can see the full study and read about each of the top ten on the list of the happiest cities in Texas HERE.

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