“It comes as no surprise to me that Mayo is the happiest electorate. You only had to see the community coming together after the Black Saturday bushfires to appreciate that. All of this contributes to community wellbeing.”—Rebekha Sharkie MP, Federal Member for Mayo.
Key points
- Tasmania has the highest average wellbeing score of 76.1.
- Western Australia has the lowest average wellbeing score at 75.
- Research shows those electorates above the average range of wellbeing are mostly in regional areas.
While interstate rivalries may be fierce, which state we choose to live in has a limited impact on our wellbeing.
Whether it’s Tasmania’s windswept coastline, Western Australia’s rugged remote outback or the inner cities of Melbourne or Sydney, the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index has found there is little difference in life satisfaction between states.
A nuanced state of affairs
While the differences are small and the variations are within what is considered the average range, the data does offer a state-by-state insight into how Australians evaluate their personal wellbeing.
Tasmania, with the highest average wellbeing score of 76.1, comes out on top, followed closely by Victoria and South Australia.
Western Australia, on the other hand, has the lowest average wellbeing score at 75, just below that of New South Wales and Queensland.
Delve deeper, however, and a more revealing picture emerges. Tasmania scored highest when measuring relationships, safety and community connectedness, but lowest in matters of health.
Western Australia has high scores across the standard of living, health and achieving in life domains. Yet the state scored lower in matters of safety, community connectedness and future security.
Give it up for Mayo
Does the electorate you live in affect your wellbeing?
Australian Unity Wellbeing Index research found that it does. With its picturesque coastline, diverse natural landscape and strong local communities, the South Australian electorate of Mayo is top of the list when it comes to life satisfaction, achieving a wellbeing score of 78.5.
The lowest? The New South Wales electorate of McMahon, located in Western Sydney, with a wellbeing score of 70.
The research shows that people in regional locations have higher wellbeing than those in cities, and this also holds true when it comes to electorates.
Many of the electorates that have below-average levels of wellbeing are located in urban areas; conversely, those electorates above the average range of wellbeing are mostly in regional areas.
