Although Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs are often pigeonholed as the Harbour City’s wellness mecca (hi, athleisure and exxy juice bars), a recent study of wellbeing split by area – using a more scientifically rigorous method than counting Pilates studios per block – shows that people who live in suburbs north of the Bridge have the highest levels of wellbeing.
The study ranked local government areas (LGAs) across the country based on various factors that impact general wellbeing – from wage disparity to the natural environment – and Sydney’s Northern Beaches came out on top.
In order to inform policy and investment across Australia, public policy adviser SGS Economics and Planning released its annual wellbeing index, ranking 518 LGAs across the country. And not only did Sydney’s Northern Beaches rank as the Australian LGA with the highest wellbeing ranking, but 13 of the top 20 regions in the country for wellbeing are right here in NSW.
The study was conducted as part of SGS Economics and Planning’s mission to understand “what makes our nation thrive” – analysing the wellbeing of a region based on various economic, environmental and social factors. And while it’s something of a comfort for residents of Sydney’s north to know that they have the optimum conditions for wellbeing, the results highlight the inequality that exists in Australia, and NSW specifically.
The study assessed seven different indicators to provide an overall picture of wellbeing, gathering data on the following areas: economy, income and wealth, employment, knowledge and skills, housing, health, equality, environment, community and work-life balance.
Many of the suburbs that made their way onto the top 20 list are located in Sydney’s north, with North Sydney coming in at number three, followed by Ku-ring-gai, Hornsby, Lane Cove and Mosman. For context, the only Queensland place to be listed in the top 10 was Brisbane, which came in 10th place. Other Sydney suburbs to be ranked among the top 20 Australian LGAs for wellbeing include Waverley, Sutherland and Woollahra.
One reason identified as contributing to the high wellbeing index in metro NSW is the comparatively small gender pay gaps, which are notably higher in regional areas such as remote Western Australia and Queensland. SGS principal Julian Szafraniec explained that the results should be used to help governments and communities more effectively direct policy and funding.
Despite many of NSW’s metro LGAs ranking as the best places for wellbeing, some of Australia's lowest-performing regions in the health index are in regional NSW. This is the sort of disparity that the survey sought to highlight, with SGS principal Julian Szafraniec explaining: "It's not a scorecard for your local area, it's a tool to inform a debate about where investment should go, and the choices we all need to make in the future."
You can learn more and read the full report over here.
The full list of Australian LGAs ranked by wellbeing index is:
Northern Beaches
ACT
North Sydney
Ku-ring-gai
Hornsby
Lane Cove
Mosman
Sutherland
Sydney
Brisbane
Willoughby
Cambridge
Ryde
The Hills Shire
Melbourne
Hobart
Woollahra
Waverley
Nillumbik
Perth
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