The study of economics has experienced a surging interest in individuals’ self-reported happiness, or subjective well-being, in recent decades thanks to growing evidence that happiness can be measured and meaningfully influenced. In the interdisciplinary field of happiness economics, research has come across a highly influential variable that arguably has had one of the greatest influences on human behavior throughout history- religion. Although the positive relationship between religion and subjective well-being is well established, the mechanisms driving this relationship are yet to be fully understood. This paper will explore the well-established relationship further with an econometric analysis of the relationship between religion and subjective well-being in Asheville, NC. Data collected from various religious and nonreligious organizations in Asheville and including measures for multiple dimensions of religious practice is examined to identify how religion relates to subjective well-being in Asheville, NC. This research seeks to present an incremental step forward in comprehending the dynamic and recondite relationship between religion and happiness. Progress toward better understanding this relationship will likely provide valuable insight for the study of happiness economics as whole.
