DETROIT, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – If Michigan cities were hoping to show up anywhere near the top of WalletHub’s 2026 list of the happiest cities in America, that dream got left on the side of the road. No Michigan city appeared at all until Grand Rapids landed at No. 90 out of 182 cities. Detroit came in dead last at No. 182.

Not exactly pure Michigan bliss.

WalletHub ranked cities using 29 metrics across emotional and physical well-being, income and employment, and community and environment. Grand Rapids posted an overall score of 54.28, with a relatively solid income and employment ranking of No. 44, but weaker marks in emotional and physical well-being at No. 100. Detroit, meanwhile, finished at the very bottom overall, making it the least happy city in the country in this year’s study.

The stats do not exactly scream sunshine.

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The result did not come out of nowhere. In a separate WalletHub 2025 study, Detroit was also named the most stressed city in America. Other data shows the city to have a high unemployment rate, a high poverty rate, and one of the highest violent crime rates in the country. It also has a low median household income, adjusted for cost of living, at about $38,000 – not exactly the kind of number that puts a grin on anyone’s face.

For comparison, Fremont, California took the top happiness spot in 2026, proving once again that somebody in America is having a nice time.