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Do You Live In Australia's Happiest Federal Electorate?

New report reveals which candidates have the happiest voters.
Malcolm Turnbull's electorate of Wenworth is in the bottom 30 electorates.
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Malcolm Turnbull's electorate of Wenworth is in the bottom 30 electorates.

Dumped minister Jamie Briggs may be facing his toughest battle yet in the fight to keep his seat, but there is some good news -- his voters are the happiest in the country.

A new survey -- conducted by Australian Unity and Deakin University -- reveals the federal electorate of Mayo is the most content with life, with the South Australian seat including the Adelaide Hills and the coastal city of Victor Harbor.

The latest wellbeing index survey asked Australian's across 150 federal electorates to evaluate a whole range of areas in their lives from health and personal relationships to future security and their current living standards. Each electorate was then given a collective rating out of 100.

Briggs' electorate had the highest happiness rating of 79.49 while Malcolm Turnbull's electorate of Wentworth rated in the bottom 30 electorates, with 74.11. Bill Shorten's Victorian electorate of Maribyrnong rated slightly higher at 75.22, which sits in the middle range.

This wellbeing divide between suburban and rural Australia is perhaps linked to aspiration within urban areas and some frustration at not having the resources to meet that aspiration.

Rural areas including Murray and Mallee in Victoria, Gilmore on the south coast of New South Wales, Kennedy in North Queensland and O'Connor in Western Australia all rated quite highly on the happiness scale. Western Sydney electorates fared the least happiest with Blaxland holding the most unsatisfied voters.

Delyse Hutchinson, a senior researcher fellow at Deakin University, said the findings showed a potentional happiness divide between Aussies living in rural areas and urban areas. Suggesting those in urban areas were exposed to the most aspirational parts of the country, Hutchinson said the problem may lie in their inability to live the way they desire, whether it's in a bigger house, a better job or a new car.

"This wellbeing divide between suburban and rural Australia is perhaps linked to aspiration within urban areas and some frustration at not having the resources to meet that aspiration," Hutchinson said, upon the release of the study.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and MP Jamie Briggs in the Mayo electorate on Friday.
Fairfax: Andrew Meares
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and MP Jamie Briggs in the Mayo electorate on Friday.

With Turnbull's home suburb, Point Piper, one of the richest suburbs in the country, maybe the survey is another feather in the 'money doesn't buy happiness' cap.

As for Briggs, who had the Prime Minister by his side on Friday to bolster his campaign to keep the long-held Liberal seat, maybe the survey will be his latest campaign tool.

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