While we love to complain about the weather and the high cost of living, it turns out that living in Vancouver might make us happier than we give it credit for.
Leger, a market research company, recently shared its 2026 Happiness Index, where it surveyed 63,710 Canadians between June 9 and 29.
The annual survey measures how happy Canadians feel on a scale of 1 to 10, which is then converted into a standardized score out of 100.
Out of Canada’s 10 largest cities, Vancouver ranked in fourth place, with an average happiness index of 69. It comes behind Toronto (69.4), Brampton (71.7), and Montreal (72.7).
Vancouver is happier in 2026, as its points went up by 2.7 from 2025.
Leger
Leger polled Canadians on “what contributes to happiness in a municipality,” finding that feeling safe, access to nature, and enjoying a good neighbourhood life ranked as the most important factors.
“Municipal happiness therefore depends not only on services, but also on feeling good in one’s community,” reads the report.
Canada-wide, Leger found that the country has gotten happier over the past year, with its happiness index climbing from 68.7 to 70.5.
However, Leger found that the cost of living is one of the leading barriers to happiness, with 58 per cent of Canadians saying it was affecting their happiness. Further, 57 per cent ranked financial pressure as the first among sources of pressure.
Daily Hive recently covered a Remitly study on the price of happiness in major Canadian cities, which found that income satiation — when earning more money doesn’t boost your happiness — peaks when you earn $166,982 a year.
The median income in Vancouver is nearly $100,000 lower than this figure, which ZipRecruiter reports as being about $68,000 a year.
Despite this financial barrier, Vancouver has made other global rankings on happiness. Earlier this year, the Happy City Index was published, with Vancouver cracking the top 50.
Vancouver also recently ranked 11th in a list of the world’s most livable cities for expats, and number 37 in a list of the 50 best cities in the world.
With files from Natalia Buia