Kassel: The happiest city in Germany – What makes us so happy?
According to a survey, Kassel is the happiest city in Germany. Learn more about life satisfaction and urban challenges.

Kassel: The happiest city in Germany – What makes us so happy?
Kassel shines in the happiness ranking
In a recent survey, Kassel secured the title of the happiest city in Germany fvw reported. With a high score of 7.44, Kassel trumps well-known cities such as Hamburg and Gelsenkirchen. The question about life satisfaction shows that, despite its rather gray and concrete cityscape, the city's residents are remarkably satisfied.
International comparison lists Finland as the happiest country in the world, but Kassel has positioned itself as a shining star in Germany. Interestingly, citizens in Kassel agree that the beauty of their city is not outstanding, which the survey impressively supports. Nevertheless, pride in the quality of life prevails.
The magic of contentment
Kassel is not alone on the pedestal of life satisfaction. In the top ten of the city rankings for 2025 by SKL Happiness Atlas was published, there are some cities such as Augsburg and Aachen, which also offer a high quality of life. While Kassel dominates in first place with 7.44 points, Augsburg (7.33 points) and Aachen (7.33 points) follow close behind.
What makes Kassel so special? The city is young, student-oriented and boasts above-average prosperity. These positive characteristics contribute to the overall high level of life satisfaction. People here manage to get the best out of their living environment, despite perhaps not always appealing architecture.
Kassel in comparison
If you look at other large cities in Germany, it quickly becomes clear that Kassel is in a different league. While Cologne, Dortmund and Munich end up in the bottom half of the life satisfaction ranking (Cologne with 6.91 points), Kassel enjoys a place in the sun. While large cities often boast of infrastructural advantages, Kassel shows that quality of life is more than just numbers.
It is interesting to observe that cities with difficult conditions like Krefeld can still show high levels of satisfaction. This confirms the thesis that the best living conditions do not always lead to the highest levels of satisfaction.
The website is available for anyone who would like to find out more about Kassel Visit Kassel detailed information about the city and its diverse offerings. Kassel may be perceived as gray from the outside, but the residents are apparently happy with what they have - and that counts for more than the facade.