2 North Carolina Cities Named Among The 'Happiest Cities' In The U.S.

You may have seen our previous coverage of the North Carolina city named one of the "saddest" in America, but it turns out the people living in two of the state's most popular cities are also some of the happiest in the country.

ALOT Travel compiled a list of the 20 "happiest cities" in the U.S., basing its rankings on the Community Well-Being Index, a report by Gallup and Healthways that "measures the opportunities cities provide for social and financial success, community integration, and life purpose for their residents." California takes the crown as the state with the most cities on the list, followed closely by Florida and Texas; however, two metropolitan areas in North Carolina also managed to snag a spot.

According to the report, the Triangle is well-represents among the happiest cities in the country, with with Durham, Chapel Hill and Raleigh all present on the list. Durham-Chapel Hill was recognized as having a high percentage of residents with a higher education, while Raleigh, also an education hub, got a shoutout for its booming tech firms. Here's what the site had to say:

"The communal aspects of Durham-Chapel Hill are rooted in their college town personas. Chapel Hill is home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which is probably why 73% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher. Durham is home to Duke University which, along with its associated health system, is the largest employer in Durham and [one] of the largest private employers in the state of North Carolina."

"The Raleigh-Cary metropolitan area has much to be proud of in the past few years. Since 2010, the area's population has boomed 18%, thanks largely to its anchor position as part of the North Carolina Research Triangle. The integration and promotion of top-notch research universities in the area have led to a large influx of traditional technology and biotech firms, as well as financial institutions."

Check out the full list at travel.alot.com to read more about the happiest cities in America.