Chester County is far from wiping the great big smile off its face; the people who enjoy its nation-leading quality of life just pushed it into the Top 5 Happiest Places in America, as ranked by SmartAsset.
“One year ago, I was pleased to share that Chester County was ranked the sixth happiest county in America in 2015. Today, I’m excited to announce that we’ve been ranked the fourth happiest county in 2016! We got happier,” Commissioner Michelle Kichline wrote on Facebook.
“Chester County’s great quality of place makes us a standout nationwide. I’m proud to be from Chester County, an excellent place to live, work, raise a family and retire.”
Already one of America’s healthiest and most productive places with the country’s best school and urban trail, it’s no surprise that Chester County received an elite 2016 ranking based on the presence of a high marriage rate, ratio of median income to cost of living, life expectancy and rate of physical activity, as well as the absence of poverty, unemployment, divorce and personal bankruptcy.
“Chester County boasts an income ratio of 2.3 and an average life expectancy over 80. It’s the highest-income county in Pennsylvania,” the study noted. “No wonder its roughly 500,000 residents are a happy bunch.”
Only two other East Coast counties fared better, and the closest of Chester County’s neighbors was No. 23 Montgomery County.
Read more about the ranking of the happiest U.S. counties on SmartAsset here, and take a look back at last year’s VISTA Today coverage of the rankings here.
