Happiness
Everything that raises or lowers a resident's happiness, in points.
Every resident has a happiness score. Everyone starts at 50, and the things below add or take away points. Click any resident in the game to see their own list. The city's happiness is the average of its people, and it decides whether the city grows.
Numbers that matter
- 55% or more: the people in a building are happy enough for it to be rebuilt bigger.
- City average below 38%: growth stalls. Nobody new moves in and nothing new is built.
- Below 35: a resident pays only half their tax.
- Below 22: a resident starts thinking about leaving the city.
What makes people happier
| Reason | Points |
|---|---|
| Has a great job | +20 |
| Has a good job | +15 |
| In school | +10 |
| Has a job | +10 |
| Lovely home | +10 |
| Retired | +8 |
| Short commute | +8 |
| A park nearby | +6 |
| Comfortable home | +5 |
| Police nearby, and the city has a jail | +5 |
| Studying for a degree | +5 |
| Studying for something better | +4 |
| Grocery store nearby | +4 |
| Reasonable commute | +3 |
| Police nearby | +3 |
| Hospital nearby | +3 |
| Lower income tax here | +3 |
| Rent control | +3 |
| A bank nearby | +3 |
| A gym nearby | +3 |
| Stores nearby | +3 |
| Fire station nearby | +2 |
| A footpath to walk on nearby | +2 |
| School fees waived | +2 |
| Gas station nearby | +2 |
| Took the bus instead of sitting in traffic | +2 |
| Shops nearby | +3 for each, up to +12 |
| Things to do nearby | +2 for each attraction, up to +6 |
| Trees and greenery nearby | up to +6 |
| Desirable area | +1 to +6, by the land value |
| Low taxes | up to +8, by how far below the usual rate |
| Neighbourhood watch | +1 |
| Recycling | +1 |
| Quiet nights | +1 |
What makes people less happy
| Reason | Points |
|---|---|
| Unemployed | -20 |
| Very long commute | -12 |
| Hurt in a road accident | -12 |
| No school to go to | -10 |
| No electricity | -10 |
| No running water | -10 |
| Ill | -8 |
| A neighbour died and no undertaker has come | -8 |
| Home was broken into | -8 |
| Overqualified for the job | -6 |
| No car: a long walk to work | -6 |
| No park nearby | -6 |
| No sewers | -6 |
| Under the flight path | -6 |
| Long commute | -5 |
| No shops nearby | -5 |
| Trash collection missed this week | -5 |
| No police cover | -4 |
| No hospital nearby | -4 |
| No fire cover | -3 |
| Snowed in: the street has not been cleared | -3 |
| Has to cross the street with no crosswalk | -3 |
| Break-ins on the street lately | -3 |
| Dark street at night | -3 |
| Higher income tax here | -3 |
| No grocery store nearby | -3 |
| No internet | -3 |
| No bank nearby | -2 |
| Nowhere near to fill up the car | -2 |
| No mail delivery | -2 |
| No phone signal | -2 |
| Factories nearby | -3 for each, down to -20 |
| Trash not collected for two weeks or more | -5 for each week missed, down to -30 |
| Polluted air | down to -12, by how bad the air is |
| Home still blackened from the fire | -1 to -10 |
| Run-down area | -1 to -6, by the land value |
| High taxes | down to -16, by how far above the usual rate |
| Electricity, water and sewer bills are high | down to -10 |
| School fees | down to -8 |
| Fire service charge | down to -6 |
| Shops and workplaces shut for want of staff | down, by how many are shut |
| Stuck in traffic jams | -2 to -12 |
| Can't get out: the roads are jammed | -2 to -12 |
People give a new city time before they miss parks and services: several of the penalties only apply once a resident has settled in and the city has grown.
The reference pages are made from the game's own data, version 1.8. Numbers can change between versions.