The Top 10 Happiest Cities in the U.S.

National Geographic fellow Dan Buettner's new book, The Blue Zones of Happiness, provides scientific research measuring life satisfaction by region. "Your beliefs aren't going to change. But data now exists to show us how to optimize your surroundings so you're more likely to be happy," he says.

Buettner, along with Gallup social scientists, created the National Geographic Gallup Special/Blue Zones Index, CNBC reports. Cities in Colorado, on the east, and west coasts all made the top ten.

In his book, Buettner wrote about three "strands" of happiness that were key to formulating the list of happiest cities: pleasure, purpose and pride. Pleasure is enjoying life in the moment while purpose is about living out your values and passions while serving a greater purpose, he explains. He adds that pride is about how satisfied people feel with their accomplishments in life.

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