We find ourselves in that limbo time period between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, which means that many news outlets find themselves struggling to publish stories able to grab the eyeballs of disinterested or distracted readers.

That’s why I was delighted to find one mainstream outlet, Nexstar Media Wire and its author Addy Bink, put this piece out there on Sunday–since it seems they accidentally shared a fact that will cheer many conservatives. It comes in an article titled: “Here’s where the happiest Americans live, study finds”:

Happiness doesn’t grow on trees, but it may be a little easier to come by in some cities, a new study has found.

Reviewing federal and local government data across 13 metrics based on personal finances, well-being, and quality of life, SmartAsset ranked nearly 165 of the nation’s largest cities to find where Americans are happiest.

Before we get to the happiest places in America, there’s this nugget. The survey appears to bring a lot of good news for the Golden state, with “[s]ix California cities land[ing] in the top 10, with Sunnyvale ranking the highest. SmartAsset found the top 10 California cities overall had lower percentages of people living in poverty, higher marriage rates, and lower violent crime rates.”

Here are the top 10 cities, according to the rankings, with number-one at the top:

• Sunnyvale, California
• Arlington, Virginia
• Bellevue, Washington
• Fremont, California
• Frisco, Texas
• Plano, Texas
• Roseville, California
• San Jose, California
• Santa Clarita, California
• Irvine, California

But hiding among the SmartAsset stats was one trait that binds all 10 of the happiest U.S. cities (save one) together — and it couldn’t be more conservative:

Overall, the top 10 happiest cities are also home to high marriage rates. In all but one – Arlington, Virginia – married residents make up the majority of the population.

Wait, hold up. People lead happier lives, wherever they happen to live in the U.S., if they’re legally bound to another person? We were told this couldn’t be possible by progressives. Surely, this situation will stifle one’s ability to live out one’s truth, or something. Alas, it’s right there in the survey for all to see.

Maybe the Bible was on to something, after all, speaking about the holy bond of marriage:

Genesis 2:24:

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

1 Peter 3:7:

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Now, as far as the complete results of SmartAsset’s survey, which city was dead last in quality of life (Sunnyvale topped that metric, too):

Sunnyvale wasn’t only the happiest city but the place with the highest quality of life score. SmartAsset based this metric on the percentage of adults living below poverty level, marriage rates, commute times, the concentration of entertainment and food venues, and the violent crime rate. In this category, Minneapolis ranked the lowest.

Better luck next time, Twin Cities.

In honor of marriage, here are clips from maybe the greatest wedding scene in any movie, from “The Princess Bride.” Enjoy!