How Atlanta can get the gold medal for happiness

By Craig Robinson, Author of The Happiness Reboot

Last year, the World Happiness Report released its annual ranking of the world’s happiest countries. While America has recently been bringing home plenty of gold medals from the Winter Olympic Games (12 as of this writing), we’ve been falling short in the games that might actually matter most.

While Olympians have been competing since 776 BC, we only recently started measuring global happiness in 2012. Since then, America has yet to reach the podium. In fact, the U.S. has never ranked in the top 10, and as of last year, we fell out of the top 20 to number 24. Ouch. 

We will learn this week—on March 19, when the 2026 World Happiness Report is released—exactly where the U.S. and nearly 140 other countries stand. However, an early peek at the numbers suggests Finland will reign supreme for the ninth year in a row.

That is a sobering reality, but I have reason to believe we might be painting the entire country with too broad a brush. After a career as a commercial real estate executive—most recently spending 12 years in New York City running global businesses—I returned home to Atlanta. I came back in search of a better quality of life, proximity to family, and, ultimately, a path to being happier.

For those less familiar with the study, the findings are based on a Gallup World Poll using the "Cantril Ladder" survey method. It asks over 100,000 respondents to self-assess their lives on a scale from the "best possible" to "worst possible." Gallup then uses economic data, like GDP per capita, to help understand the correlations. Key insights from past reports suggest that "sharing and caring," the perception of benevolence (like the likelihood of a stolen wallet being returned), and the frequency of social connection versus loneliness are the true drivers of national happiness.

While America lags behind the Nordic countries and even neighbors like Mexico and Canada, it’s not hard to imagine why. We have so much, yet we seem to value so little. Our society prioritizes achievement, money, and status. We spend far less time encouraging connection, finding authentic purpose, or sharing. Social media and a fractured political environment have only exacerbated a feeling of tribalism over the "caring and sharing" values highlighted in the report.

While previously running a global division for WeWork, I led teams that designed and operated spaces intended to encourage productivity, engagement, and—dare I say it—happiness. I saw firsthand that my desire for fulfillment wasn't unique. My teams delivered millions of square feet for organizations across China, Japan, Europe, and the Americas. Since then, I have been obsessed with the study of well-being, eventually publishing my research in my book, The Happiness Reboot, releasing March 31.

I am already realizing that Atlanta was more than just a personal choice; it offers compelling insights the rest of the nation could learn from.

Researchers of "fulfillment"—a higher-order happiness akin to Maslow’s self-actualization—point to purpose, belonging, and growth as the prerequisites for true well-being. This version of happiness, fashioned after Viktor Frankl’s foundational research, is harder to measure than GDP. But those of us who call Atlanta home instinctively know that the city’s cultural legacy promotes these values in subtle, vital ways.

Let’s start with purpose. Atlanta, "the city too busy to hate," once aspired to move past a violent racist past in favor of a collective new purpose: growth. When other parts of the South resisted social progress, the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement became a place where change happened faster. This "flywheel effect" brought talent and business to the city, from Sweet Auburn to Buckhead. Today, our vibrant industry clusters—transportation, technology, and talent (entertainment)—continue to draw people globally. According to the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), Metro Atlanta is projected to reach 7.9 million people by 2050. People are coming here because there is an opportunity for inclusive growth - and purpose.

Lest someone discount the role of job growth in happiness, consider this: researchers have found you have a less than 1% chance of being fulfilled in life if you aren’t also fulfilled in your work. Atlanta will soon offer 4.6 million opportunities for people to find their professional purpose.

Next is belonging and connection. Atlanta is home to 57 colleges and universities, nearly 8,800 faith-based organizations, and thousands of authentic spaces for connection. I live in the Old Fourth Ward (O4W). I went to elementary school there, lived in the Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts after college, and served on the board of the Historic District Development Corporation. I’ve been in this neighborhood, where MLK Jr. lived, since I was a kid. It is my "belonging."

But I’m not unique in that pride. I love seeing Inman Park flags draped from residents' porch steps; I attend the neighborhood festivals we celebrate religiously from Grant Park and Ansley to Midtown and the "SWATS" (Southwest Atlanta), where I attended high school. In recent decades, the city has made significant investments to connect these disparate communities through the Beltline. Having served on the real estate development team for Atlantic Station, I’ve seen how the intentional repurposing of spaces—like Ponce City Market, Lee + White, and the New City North Angier project—creates genuine opportunities to live, work, and play together.

The final ingredient is growth. Being stretched and challenged is how we refine our purpose. Atlanta is not without its flaws. WalletHub recently ranked Atlanta 76th out of 182 cities for happiness, due largely to scores in affordability, wealth disparity, and traffic. These are the byproducts of rampant growth.

However, Atlanta has a history of leaning into its challenges. We led the nation in civil rights when it was difficult and unpopular. We must, and will, lead again on issues of infrastructure and safety. Viktor Frankl’s research proves that hardship is often a necessary component of the happiness calculus. Our challenges are merely opportunities to refine our resolve.

To secure our city's place on the Olympic podium of future happiness, I offer two practical suggestions for all Atlantans. First, take advantage of our incredible public spaces like the BeltLine or the Jazz Festival to step out of your comfort zone and make a new connection. Chances are, you’ll see me out there! Second, let’s encourage our youth to look beyond academic success and boldly discover their life’s purpose. Atlanta is a city for dreamers, and nurturing that courage in our kids is how we secure our future.

So, while Helsinki may be the happiest city in the world and Fremont may lead the U.S., the rest of the world can learn a lot from the "A." I, for one, am happier and proud to call Atlanta home.

In the words of our native son and creative genius, André 3000: "The South has something to say."