Although the effects of psychological health and optimism have been extensively investigated, data from community‐based cohorts assessing the association between psychological health and cardiovascular disease risk factors are sparse, and the concurrent relationship between subjective well‐being and cardiovascular health has not been studied. This study examined the association between well‐being and cardiovascular risk factors among 719 individuals living in a middle‐ to low‐income neighborhood. Results suggest that individuals reporting higher levels of well‐being have lower odds of hypertension and dyslipidemia as well as lower rates of age‐dependent increase in vascular stiffness.