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The size of town you live in has a big impact on how happy you are

Happiness is strongly correlated with low population density (Rex)
Happiness is strongly correlated with low population density (Rex)

People who live in big cities are less happy than those who live in small towns or the country – even if they do have better-paying jobs.

Researchers at Vancouver School of Economics and McGill University analysed 400,000 responses to national surveys in Canada to look at levels of well-being.

The researchers concluded that, ‘Life is significantly less happy in urban areas.’

The researchers found that population density was much higher in the bottom 20% of most unhappy communities – eight times that in the 20% of happiest communities, according to the Washington Post.

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The researchers found that people in small towns or rural communities felt less transient, felt a greater ‘sense of belonging’.

In urban areas, people often spend longer on their commute, the researchers found – an average of 22 minutes versus 15 minutes.

House prices may also play a part.

The researchers wrote, ‘The proportion of those spending more than 30 per cent of their incomes on housing is significantly higher in the urban areas.’