We Louisianans have a lot to be proud of, on top of already being able to boast about having the best food (do I even have to mention crawfish boils, gumbo, or pecan pie?) , and the best parties around (ahem Mardi Gras), now we can brag about having the happiest people in the country.
According to a working paper from researchers at Harvard University and the University of British Columbia, the top five happiest cities in the U.S. all reside in Louisiana. The lucky residents of Lafayette, Houma, Shreveport-Bossier City, Baton Rouge, and Alexandria lay claim to the title and Lake Charles, while not in the top five, is in the top ten which gives LA six out of the top ten happiest cities in the country.
On the other side of the spectrum, the report found that the residents of New York City are the unhappiest in America. So now we know that if Friends had been filmed in Baton Rouge the gang would have been a whole lot happier.