SURF CITY has been Huntington Beach’s nickname for decades (WSL photo/Morris).

As reported in The Tribune on Wednesday, Huntington Beach and Garden Grove were recently rated two of the “happiest cities” in the United States by WalletHub.com.

Surf City is 12th and The Big Strawberry is 14th, both outscoring dozens of bigger, more “exciting” cities.

Anyone who has any doubts about why two of our West Orange County towns have won such accolades can check the cold criteria, but I know the deeper reasons.

Garden Grove is a big (well, semi-big) city with a small town feel. It’s culturally diverse but not divided. The educational opportunities are first-rate: the Garden Grove United School District wins a boatload of awards every year, and you can even go to college in town at Coastline Community College.

There’s a thriving arts scene in the city with the Gem Theater (musical theater) and the Garden Amp (a wide variety of musical acts from original material to top-notch cover bands).

Garden Grove has a lively – but not boozy – downtown/civic center and there are bustling commercial/entertainment centers at Chapman/Brookhurst, Valley View Street and Harbor Boulevard.

Huntington Beach has one of the loveliest beaches in North America. The climate is near-perfect and its downtown vibe ranges from funky surfer to family coastline fun-for-all ages.

THE ANNUAL Strawberry Festival in Garden Grove raises money for local non-profits(File photo).

It’s home to Golden West College and one of the best park systems – if not the best – in Orange County.

There’s a strong environmental movement and a huge business district in the Bella Terra (Edinger and Beach) that’s got as many cool stores and hot eateries as you could possibly want.

The current political turmoil will pass and the city’s image will return to that of a place of sandy toes, lovely neighborhoods and plenty of room left to grow.

Yes, we still have homelessness and graffiti, but which city doesn’t?  We’re expecting happiness not heaven on earth.