The paper investigates how traits of cities explain subjective well-being and its subcomponents. Building up a happiness function, where life satisfaction is determined by satisfaction on life domains, the impact of city-level determinants of happiness is analyzed through a multilevel analysis. The results show that Italian cities have an effect on subjective well-being through different happiness domains. The relationship between the estimated coefficients of domain satisfactions and some relevant urban-context variables and amenities is then examined. This approach allows urban policy agendas to be designed around city-specific characteristics.