The Victorian town of Ballarat has been named the happiest city in Australia for 2026, according to the Happy City Index. While no city in Western Australia made the spot, the happiest city in the world has been named as Copenhagen in Denmark.  

The team of researchers say the Happy City Index exists not to declare a single ‘best city’, but to identify cities that combine good governance, quality of life, among others to provide a balanced picture of urban development.  

So, what makes a city happy?

Environmental geographer and Associate Professor Bryan Boruff says for most Australians, what makes a happy city is being able to own their own homes with a bit of land, close to the city, beach, and amenities.

Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University Peter Newman says hope makes a city happy.

“Without hope a city lives in fear and can never be happy. It is an ancient perspective that i discovered early in my life.”

The happy city index researchers look at 64 real life indicators to see if a city provides a good life. They look at areas such as governance, environment, economy, health, mobility and citizens. 

Professor Newman believes these indicators cannot truly capture the cultural and historical meaning people attach to a city which gives them hope and happiness.

“I don’t think the happy city index has the ancient truths that provide the deeper values that create real happiness. This is just a series of indicators thrown together.”

Dr Boruff believes the environment shapes people’s overall wellbeing in cities.  
 
“A number of studies have shown that people closer to water, whether it be the beach or a lake or something to that effect, engage in more physical activity, and so they get out and enjoy their environment,” he says.   
 
“Similarly, people who have access to parks are shown to engage in more physical activity.” 

Among the environmental indictors of the happy city index, annual average PM2.5 concentration carried the highest weighing at 3 per cent.    

“That could be just anything in the air, such as dust or dirt or smoke or liquid droplets like acid rain, smoke or ash,” Dr Boruff explains.  

Associate Dean of Public Health at Edith Cowan University Professor Amanda Devine says access to healthy food is also an indicator of a happy city.  
 
“I suppose to have a community or a city that’s healthy or well-nourished food is really important.

“Imagine if there’s lots of fast-food outlets, and a lot of processed food available. Eating and consuming these highly processed food doesn’t bode well for the overall community’s health,” she says.

The happy city index also reviews the number of adults classified as overweight or obese.  

Professor Devine says intake of highly processed food and the lack of exercise could lead to obesity.  

She urges cities to prioritise their public health plans and the community food environment. She says procuring food from local growers, leaving spaces around schools, or encouraging the use of spaces around schools to get children involved with growing food and harvesting food should be top priority. 

“And maybe [cities] have some sort of community based pop up supermarkets where they can sell food that is grown by the community to raise money and again, support families,” she says.

“Trying to, you know, get [food] closer to the people, and get the people involved in growing their own food might be helpful,” she said.