Transport and roads are the two main issues that Wagga residents say stand in the way of their overall happiness.
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It follows the release of the annual World Happiness Report, which ranks 156 nations on a 'happiness index'.
This year, Australia has dropped from the top 10 and is now sitting beneath Austria and above Costa Rica at number 11.
Scandinavia topped the list for another year. Finland, Denmark and Norway took the winner's podium, with Iceland, Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden just below.
New Zealand ranked in at number eight, rounding out the top 10 together with Canada and Austria.
The United Kingdom squeezed into number 15, and the United States hit number 19.
Falling last, at 156th, this year was South Sudan.
The results are based on a survey that asks citizens to rate the consistency of their personal happiness over three years.
To determine what drives happiness in Wagga, The Daily Advertiser hit the streets to ask people what makes them happy.
Equally as important, The Daily Advertised quizzed residents on what could be improved in the city to increase happiness - and maybe even edge the nation to its former glory in the world's top 10.
Transport and roads around the city are at this point the biggest concerns.
Ivy, who is an 86-year-old mother and grandmother living in Central Wagga spends much of her time on public transport.
"I lost my husband 17 years ago, and that certainly was sad, but I have five children who make me very happy," she said.
"Only one lives in Wagga, so I travel a lot to see them. I'm taking planes and trains all the time and there are just no buses here.
"Transport is not much chop here, I think it'd make me happier if there were more efficient ways of getting around the place. It's just a pain to deal with transport here."
A visitor to the city from Melbourne, 26-year-old Alex Cross agreed with Ivy's assessment of the situation.
"Transport here seems to be pretty standard for a country town," he said.
"There's not a continuous flow of public transport like there is in the cities. You have to have a car here, or you stay put."
But those who do drive are not afforded a direct pathway to infinite happiness either, as Vanessa and David Welch of Lloyd attest.
"The roads need a bit of work, they're potholed and broken in a lot of areas," said 53-year-old Mr Welch.
However, Mrs Welch continues to speak highly of Wagga in comparison to elsewhere.
"We're from Victoria, we came here about three years ago and the services here are good. The library is fantastic, and the RMS services are really very good. They aren't that good in Victoria," said the 51-year-old.
In her capacity as a disability carer, 35-year-old Ilona Schirmer of Central Wagga has come to see the city's biggest challenge in its lack of transport and road maintenance.
"For people with disabilities, who can't and will never be able to drive, getting to jobs in Bomen say are just entirely inaccessible," she said.
"One girl I was working with, she was spending more than her weekly wage on taxis each week just to get to work."
While life in Wagga affords Ms Schirmer greater opportunities than she experienced when living in Sydney, there is one glaring absence in the city.
"When I lived in Sydney, I would never have dared ride my bike to work, now I ride every day. I don't have to worry about parking or petrol, it's great," she said.
"But there's not a whole lot of nightlife for people over 30 here, it makes dating and going out almost impossible."
It is a concern Mr and Mrs Welch share, and which they say serves to hinder their overall happiness also.
"It's a bit disappointing that social things here are so expensive," said Mrs Welch.
"They're great to have, you want to get involved and support them, but when it's $20 per adult just to get in, and then all the additional costs on top of that, you just can't afford it.
"If it's in a public park, maybe it could be a gold coin donation or something less expensive."
But aside from the slight improvements that could be made, Wagga residents mostly agree the city affords a lot of happiness.
"What's the use in being miserable, really? I'd say I've had a happy life here in Wagga," said 86-year-old Ivy.