For many, a move to Australia is motivated by the allure of a life in the sunshine: long days out on a bicycle, beach picnics, family-friendly neighbourhoods and a good dose of Aussie charm. While most of the country does indeed offer a high quality of life, we’re digging into the results of a new report to discover the areas ranked as best for wellbeing.
Wellbeing Wonders Down Under
Moving to Australia for a better quality of life? Dig into the wellbeing report to find out where would suit you best…
This May marked the release of the SGS Cities & Regions Wellbeing Index. The report looks at wellbeing rates across the country by looking at the following factors: environment; economy; income & wealth; employment, knowledge & skills; housing; health; and equality, community & work-life balance. These were further broken down into higher education levels, life expectancy, gender pay gap and more.
10 key findings from the report:
Canberra, Australia Capital Territory.
1. Australia Capital Territory performed best overall for wellbeing. Followed by Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Hobart.
2. Capital cities performed better than the regional areas in their state. For example, Sydney scored 6.0 while regional New South Wales scored 5.1. The biggest differences were felt in healthcare, due to a difference in life expectancy and a higher proportion of regional residents living with chronic health issues. But for factors such as equality and work life balance, urban and regional areas were more aligned.
3. Top performing regions: Regions like Ku-ring-gai, North Sydney and Sydney in the Greater Sydney region performed were top scoring in multiple categories. This was also true for Yarra and Melbourne in Greater Melbourne.
4. Sydney and Melbourne had the highest performing economies. In New South Wales, Sydney’s hospitality and transport industries saw the most growth, as did mining and transport in the regional areas. Strong growth in Melbourne was led by hospitality and transport, though there was a marginal decline across the rest of regional Victoria.
5. Sydney’s northern suburbs had the greatest income and wealth. The following neighbourhoods were highlighted: Hunters Hill, Ku-ring-gai, Mosman and the northern beaches.
6. For the best options for employment, knowledge & skills look to Greater Melbourne and Greater Sydney. Both are home to top-performing universities, attracting a diverse range of international students each year.
7. Affordable abodes: If you’re looking to save some coin on rent, regional NSW is your go-to. With the best rental affordability in relation to household income.
8. Looking for the best healthcare in the land? Head to Greater Sydney.
9. The best places for equality, community & work life balance were distributed across the country.
10. Eco enthusiasts: For those who fancy a bit of greenery, Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia, and South Australia are the guardians of Australia’s environmental treasures.
Of course, where you choose to buy will be dependent on what you are looking. If you’re looking to study or work, perhaps Melbourne or Sydney will be your safest bet. While if you’re seeking a rental on a budget, regional South Wales might be worth looking into. For an all-rounder, head to the Australia Capital Territory.
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