Naples area one of U.S. happiest cities, National Geographic says

Naples

Shells fill the sand at Vanderbilt Beach on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017, six days after Hurricane Irma.

With its pristine beaches and beautiful sunsets, there's no denying Naples' appeal.

And it's no wonder the Naples area was named one of the happiest places in the country by National Geographic, Gallup and National Geographic Fellow Dan Buettner on Wednesday.

The Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island metropolitan area took the 11th spot on a list of 25 happiest U.S. cities based on the National Geographic/Blue Zones Index. The index was developed to measure a population’s happiness based on 15 metrics, including civic engagement, walkability and healthful food options.

Boulder, Colorado, tops the list. The Santa-Cruz-Watsonville, California, metro area made the second spot, and Charlottesville, Virginia, was No. 3.

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Below is the complete list:

1. Boulder, CO

2. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

3. Charlottesville, VA

4. Fort Collins, CO

5. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA