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Revista Bula Ranks São José dos Campos 2nd Among the Happiest Cities in Brazil in 2025, Behind Joinville, and Reinforces the Concentration of Paulista Municipalities at the Top of the List, Alongside the Contrast with the Capital at the Bottom.
São José dos Campos Among the Happiest Cities in Brazil
São José dos Campos, in the interior of São Paulo, ranked second in the “The 50 Happiest Cities in Brazil in 2025” ranking, released by Revista Bula, with a final score of 8.85 on a scale from 0 to 10.
The first place went to Joinville (SC), which received 8.91, according to the same publication.
Revista Bula states that the survey was inspired by criteria from the World Happiness Report, connected to the United Nations system, and that it combined indicators and variables of well-being to arrive at each municipality’s score.
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According to the methodology text presented by the magazine, the criteria were evaluated with scores from 1 to 10.
São José dos Campos’ position at the top of the ranking has been mentioned in content about quality of life in the paulista interior.
Nevertheless, the survey does not present, in the material released, a specific indicator regarding retirees’ preference for the city, nor does it provide a direct measurement of this population segment.
Located in the Vale do Paraíba, São José dos Campos is a little over an hour from the state capital, depending on traffic conditions.
The city is also frequently mentioned as a technological and industrial hub, with the presence of research centers and companies in the sector, according to descriptions published by Revista Bula itself.
Ranking Methodology and Well-Being Criteria
According to Revista Bula, the ranking was constructed from an analytical methodology that gathered objective data and subjective well-being variables.
The text states that the inspiration came from the World Happiness Report and that the criteria were adapted to the Brazilian reality, with scores assigned to the municipalities on a scale of 1 to 10.
In the same material, the publication indicates that the goal was to synthesize dimensions related to urban life and available services.
When presenting São José dos Campos, the magazine links its placement to aspects such as urban infrastructure, public services, and actions related to sustainability, as described for the municipality in the ranking.
Interior of São Paulo Concentrates Showcase Positions in the Top 10
The 2025 ranking also drew attention to the presence of paulista municipalities among the top places.
In addition to São José dos Campos in second place, the top 10 includes Gavião Peixoto (4th, with 8.79), Vinhedo (6th, with 8.68), Campinas (7th, with 8.64), and São Caetano do Sul (10th, with 8.41), according to Revista Bula.
In a statement published on the official channel, the City Hall of São José dos Campos highlighted that the city was the highest ranked in the state and the second in the country in the survey.
In the release, the municipal administration attributed the result to factors such as quality of life and dimensions related to social well-being, health, education, and security, as per the terms used by the announcement itself.
In addition to these municipalities, Revista Bula also mentions other cities in São Paulo on the list, such as Araraquara and Valinhos, with scores around 7 points.
However, the released material does not detail, item by item, how each indicator contributed to the final score of each city.
São Paulo Ranks Last in Revista Bula’s Ranking
At the other end of the ranking, the capital São Paulo ranked 50th and last, with a score of 6.34, according to Revista Bula.
When commenting on the position, the magazine mentions that the city has infrastructure and opportunities but cites challenges associated with social inequality and urban mobility.
The difference in position between the capital and medium-sized municipalities often appears in comparisons of this kind, but the presented score functions as a summary.
Revista Bula itself does not describe the ranking as a substitute for specific analyses on public policies, demographics, or income, and does not present, in the published text, a complete spreadsheet with weights and slices of all criteria.
Top 10 Happiest Cities in Brazil in 2025
The top of the ranking released by Revista Bula consists of Joinville (SC), São José dos Campos (SP), and Curitiba (PR), with scores of 8.91, 8.85, and 8.84, respectively.
Following the top 10 are Gavião Peixoto (SP), Maringá (PR), Vinhedo (SP), Campinas (SP), Florianópolis (SC), Brasília (DF), and São Caetano do Sul (SP), with scores ranging from 8.79 to 8.41, according to the list.
The publication states that the ranking comprises 50 municipalities and that for each one, it presents a brief description with urban, economic, and cultural characteristics.
In the released content, however, the detailed comparison between cities is limited to what appears in the introductory texts and final scores.
Why Rankings of “Happiest Cities” Generate Discussion
Measurements of “happiness” in cities generally involve more than one dimension and can combine indicators and perceptions of well-being, as Revista Bula itself describes when presenting the methodology.
When a ranking relies on a broad set of criteria, different methodological choices can alter positions, depending on the bases used and the weight of each variable.
In the case of the list released by Revista Bula, the text mentions the combination of objective data with subjective variables and cites the inspiration from the international report model.
At the same time, there is no detailed explanation in the published material of the composition of each score by indicator, which limits the external verification of the weights and the final calculation.
Cidade Feliz na região mas violenta do estado de SP alguma coisa não se encaixa