THE WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT

Austin earns optimistic rank on list of happiest cities in the U.S.

Austin Congress Avenue Bridge paddle board Lady Bird Lake Town Colorado River

According to a new report, Austin is the happiest big city in Texas.

Despite pandemic fatigue and vaccine frustrations, winter-storm woes, and anxiety about whether life will ever return to what we once knew as normal, ever resilient Texans have somehow struck a happy medium between misery and contentment in these weird days. And according to one recent report, Austinites are feeling pretty okay about life in the Capital City.

WalletHub recently released its report detailing 2021’s Happiest Cities in America, which compared 182 of the largest U.S. cities based on several happiness factors. Austin, which has previously been lauded as one of the happiest cities in the U.S., landed at No. 27 on the new report, earning an overall score of 64.13 out of 100, a well-being score of 20, an employment score of 24, and a community and environment score of 94.

In its effort to identify the largest U.S. cities that are home to the happiest people, WalletHub considered three key aspects of residents’ lives: emotional and physical well-being, income and employment, and community and environment.

It terms of happiness, Austin ranked top among Texas' big metro areas. Only the North Texas city of Plano earned a higher rank at 17.

Despite its report happiness, WalletHub notes that unhappiness is on the rise given the hindrances of life in 2021. In fact, the pandemic appears to be driving a good portion of the gloom many people are feeling of late, with the WalletHub report citing recent findings from the American Psychological Association that claim the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the average person’s stress to “increase significantly” for the first time since 2007.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has altered every aspect of American life, from health and work to education and exercise,” the APA report notes, warning that in the long term, “the negative mental-health effects of the coronavirus will be serious and long-lasting.”

Elsewhere in Texas, Dallas ranked No. 104 on the list, while Houston ranked No. 123. As for the saddest of Texas' big cities? That honor goes to San Antonio at No. 141, with an overall ranking of 48.61 out of 100.

Something San Antonians may take solace in: Misery loves company, and according to the WalletHub report, Texans are pretty bummed across the board. Laredo is the lowest-ranking Texas city on the list, at No. 161. Other Texas cities ranked on the happiness list include Amarillo (No. 63), Grand Prairie (No. 70), Garland (No. 77), Fort Worth (No. 83), Irving (No. 85), Arlington (No. 102), Lubbock (No. 117), Brownsville (No. 125), El Paso (No. 128), and Corpus Christi (No. 127).

According to the report, the happiest city in the U.S. is the San Francisco Bay Area city of Fremont, California.

health lists wallethub rankings

What Gives?

12 ways to give back during Austin's 2024 holiday season

Photo from Mobile Loaves & Fishes Facebook page.

A helpful elf from last year's Mobile Loaves & Fishes' Community First! Village of Lights & Holiday Market.

For many people, the holidays are a time of gifts and merriment; for others, this time of year is a stark reminder of how tough things are. Austinites who have the time and resources to help out might be thinking about volunteering this holiday season. And there are tons of volunteer opportunities around Austin.

One initiative to get momentum going is Giving Tuesday, a global day of action and donation on December 3 that helps people organize by region and cause. Amplify Austin, a nonprofit database, offers some local tips here. But CultureMap's list below goes beyond Tuesday.

We've sifted through many local nonprofits and drives and picked out 12 awesome organizations that are currently open to donations and volunteers this holiday season, helping local humans and animals alike.

Austin Farm Sanctuary co-owner Chris Fuller-Wigg with one of the farms' many rescued cows. Photo from austinfarmsanctuary.org.

Austin Farm Sanctuary
1165 Old Pin Oak Rd.
Paige, Texas
Austin Farm Sanctuary (AFS) is about an hour outside of Austin. AFS rescues farm animals from neglectful or dangerous situations and provides them with a safe forever home, with 95 acres of sprawling fields and pastures. Their 240 rescued residents need a lot of care, and AFS is looking for volunteers and donations. More info at austinfarmsanctuary.org.

Austin Public Library
Various branches
Austinites who are passionate about literacy and access to information can help protect those rights via the Austin Public Library system. There are lots of ways to help out, and the library emphasizes that its best volunteers "enjoy interacting with the general public and providing great customer service." A full list of open volunteer positions is available at library.austintexas.gov.

Austin Pets Alive!
1156 West Cesar Chavez
Austin is one of the largest no-kill cities in the US, which means a lot of work for our local animal shelters. APA! is always looking for volunteers and supplies, especially in the winter months when it gets cold. If you're an animal lover, there are many ways to volunteer your time, foster an animal, or donate money and supplies to the shelter during the holiday season.

Caritas of Austin
611 Neches St.
Caritas of Austin has a mission to end homelessness and make sure people have a safe home, healthy groceries, jobs that provide a reliable living wage, and educational opportunities. Volunteers can help by serving lunch at their community kitchen, providing administrative support for staff members, and helping with donation deliveries and pick-ups, which tend to amp up over the holidays. Volunteers need to sign up online first.

Coats for Kids
Junior League of Austin Impact Center
5330 Bluffstone Lane
From December 2-11, The Junior League of Austin (JLA) is holding its 38th annual Coats for Kids distribution. This annual donation drive provides more than 30,000 warm winter coats to children in need in Central Texas. You can help by donating money, coats, or your time. Learn more at jlaustin.org.

Inside Books Project
3106 East 14 1/2 St
The mission of this Austin-based organization is to send free reading materials to the incarcerated people of Texas. The org also publishes resource guides and short-form instructional pamphlets for incarcerated folks. You can help Texas' only books-to-prisoners program by reading inmates' book requests, selecting books for them, and putting together packages of books. You can either volunteer in-person or simply help by donating books.

The crew from Keep Austin Beautiful Day 2019. Photo from keepaustinbeautiful.org

Keep Austin Beautiful
55 N IH 35 Frontage Rd
Keep Austin Beautiful (KAB) is one of the better-known outdoor volunteer programs in the city; Austinites have probably seen their volunteer groups cleaning up local parks or providing educational programs. Getting involved is easy; there's no need for an orientation. Volunteers will simply sign up online and show up for their shift.

Mobile Loaves & Fishes
9301 Hog Eye Rd Suite 950
Mobile Loaves & Fishes (MLF) is a local Christian social outreach ministry, whose goal is to provide affordable, permanent housing and community for folks coming out of homelessness. It operates the Community First! Village, one of the city's leading initiatives to providing affordable and sustainable housing. MLF has a variety of volunteer options including group serve days, helping out at the village, or virtual actions from home. More information at mlf.org.

Operation Blue Santa
The Austin Police Department's Operation Blue Santa started back in 1972, when a couple of police officers discovered that some families in their district didn't have gifts or food for their children during the holidays. The program began with these two officers distributing gifts to about 20 families, and for more 50 years the program has continued, now supporting more than 5,000 local families. Austinites can help by collecting and dropping off toys at one of many locations around town.

Out Youth
909 E 49th 1/2 St
Out Youth has been providing a safe space for Austin's youth of all sexual orientations and gender identities for more than 30 years now. This local organization provides a Youth Drop-In Program for kids and young adults of all ages to socialize, receive support, and even participate in workshops. It also has a library full of LGTBQIA+ literature and media, and year-round events. Volunteers can help by spreading the word about Out Youth, donating, or working directly on in-person projects. Volunteer capacity may be affected by the temporary closure of the organization's community center after a bad water leak, but that's all the more reason for volunteers to check in.

Toys for Tots
Various drop-off locations
Toys for Tots collects new, unwrapped toys throughout October, November, and part of December, in order to deliver Christmas gifts to kids who otherwise wouldn't receive them. Austinites can help by donating new, unused toys at one of many drop-off locations throughout the city or donating funds online.

SAFE Alliance
3706 South 1st Street
SAFE Alliance is a partnership between SafePlace and the Austin Children's Shelter, and its mission is to "stop abuse for everyone by serving the survivors of child abuse, sexual assault and exploitation, and domestic violence." Volunteers can help by putting together SAFE Kits and Activity Boxes, or providing meals for survivors at the SAFE Cares drop in center. More information at safeaustin.org.

volunteering nature kids families lgbtqia+homelessness animals