Does geography dictate happiness?

Several weeks ago now, there was an article published in the Times Tribune which rated Scranton and Wilkes-Barre as No. 1 in unhappiness. Given that my son attends the University of Scranton, this article caught my eye. Based on his experience, people are not as unhappy as one might believe based on the article. Additionally, based on any interaction I have had with the people of Scranton, I would believe that the people are happier than reported. My experience, as has my son’s, has been that the people of Scranton are genuinely kind, hard working people. I know this does not define a person’s happiness; however, I disagree that geography defines a persons happiness.
Dr. David Palmiter, the Director of Psychological Services at Marywood University wrote the following response to the article. It gives us much to think about with regard to how we understood one’s happiness.

Geography of Happiness