Study: People Who Live In Rural Towns Are Happier Than Those In Big Cities

A recent study conducted on those who live rurally as opposed to those who live in big cities suggests that people residing in rural areas are in fact happier. The reason?  It might surprise you, but it shouldn’t.

The Canadian study was conducted by a team of researchers from the Vancouver School of Economics and McGill University. The goal of the study was to find out the happiness levels of 400,000 Canadians. Using the responses and by cross-referencing them with other survey data, they were able to identify which factors actually bring happiness to people. Rural people are happier than city dwellers.

Why? Because simply: their lives are more simple. According to Natural News, it wasn’t even close either. Those who live more rurally are about eight times happier than their city-dwelling counterparts. This was measured using responses from the participants when they were asked to rate “how satisfied” they are with their lives. On a scale of one to 10, the average score ranged from 7.04 to 8.94.

According to the study’s authors, the findings made it obvious that “Life is significantly less happy in urban areas.” This is mostly due to the fact that living in busy cities may also mean it’s more difficult to connect with family and friends.

Social isolation, as per a separate study, can have adverse effects on the brain. It can actually make a person feel fear and aggression. Moreover, a Toronto therapist, Lesli Musicar, confirmed that people who live in urban areas feel less safe than those in rural towns.

“There isn’t the same feeling of safety. People are generally less trusting. There’s a heterogeneous population, it’s not a homogeneous population, it’s not like in a small town where there is a lot more commonality, ” she added. –Natural News

All people are different, and some like the crowded spaces and hustle and bustle of big city life.  Some do not. But those who were happier, according to the study were people who choose to stay in less developed areas. Here are three benefits that rural dwellers get:

• Cheaper cost of living for a bigger space – Bigger and more spacious houses are offered at lower rates since the real estate value in rural areas is not as expensive as in the city. Aside from cutting housing cost, you get to enjoy being close to nature and having your own yard. As a bonus, you can see the stars in the night sky, instead of tall buildings.
• Less amount of stress – We’re talking about not having to tolerate traffic jams, high crime rates, and long queues all the time. Everything can be done at your own pace when you live in rural places.
• A sense of community – Just like what the study above identified, people – whether consciously or not – long for a sense of belonging. Since those who live in rural towns have more time in their hands to get to know their neighbors, communities are more friendly.

The air is also cleaner and everything seems quieter.  Instead of hearing every car pass by your house on a busy street, you fall asleep to the comforting sounds of crickets and wake up to songbirds. Simple things like this, according to the study, lead to happier lives.