7. State College, Pennsylvania

As its name suggests, it’s a college town, with the presence of Penn State University Park, also known as University Park, significantly influencing its demography and economy.

But State College is much more than just a college town. In fact, some people refer to it as “Happy Valley,” a nickname that has origins dating back to the Great Depression. It seems that, back then, the town showed an incredible ability to be sheltered from the economic hardships affecting the rest of the country.

Art and nature feed the soul at places like the Palmer Museum of Art and the Arboretum, and people living here have a life expectancy of 82 years.