Lafayette, Louisiana Once Again Named America’s Happiest City

Lafayette, Louisiana (KPEL-FM) - When it comes to Lafayette, or anywhere in Acadiana, we know how to have a great time.

You can't have a great time if you're not happy, right?

We all know how special Lafayette, Louisiana is, and once again the rest of Country agrees with us.

Lafayette has just been named "America's Happiest City" by The Times and The National Bureau of Economic Research.

Let's take a look at how and why Lafayette has taken this honor yet once again...

Lafayette, Louisiana Named America's Happiest City

The Times along with data from The National Bureau of Economic Research have labeled Lafayette, Louisiana "America's Happiest City" for 2025.

Three of the main things that impressed them both about Lafayette is our food, our music, and our community.

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Seriously, they really have some amazing things to say about Lafayette.

From thetimes.com -

"With only a few days here you can feel the truth to it. This isn’t the constructed rock’n’roll supremacy of Cleveland (having the Hall of Fame doesn’t make you the 'capital' of an entire musical genre) or the faux 'weirdness' of Austin, a city that has long been gentrified.

By contrast, Lafayette’s title is legitimate — it is truly, deeply a happy place for residents and visitors alike."

I thought that statement was an incredible thing to say about Lafayette.

In Lafayette and Acadiana, authenticity is the backbone of who we are and what we do, and The Times very quickly picked up on this.

Lafayette’s happiness is deeply rooted and authentic, not manufactured, and our sense of community and culture is as real as gets.

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This obviously isn't the first time Lafayette has earned this title, with the most recent before this time being back in 2014 by research from Harvard and the Wall Street Journal.

From thetimes.com -

"That happiness, as everyone here is at pains to point out, comes from togetherness.

And that togetherness comes from Lafayette’s earliest days, when cast-out Cajuns, Creoles and Native Americans embraced each other to survive."

Whether it's Lafayette's cultural roots, food, music, close community bonds, our overall friendliness, or our unwavering authenticity to ourselves and everything listed above, there's certainly a lot to love about Lafayette.

Read more at thetimes.com.