The healthiest states and territories to live in revealed
A newly published study has revealed the healthiest places in Australia to live in.
Published in the Environment International Journal, the Monash University-led study looked at the health impact of everything from air quality and climate conditions, to the nearby building environment.
Here are the regions of the country that scored the best and the worst.
8. Northern Territory
The Northern Territory was the last-ranked place in Australia for overall environmental health.
7. Western Australia
Western Australia as a whole came second last.
6. Australian Capital Territory
While Canberra does boast having some of the best air quality in the world, the ACT as a whole was near the bottom of the rankings, just passing Western Australia.
The study's lead scientist Yuming Guo said that while the number of areas that scored high on the health index were decreasing, the amount more than 70 per cent of Australians still lived in high-scoring areas.
5. Queensland
Queensland was next, seeing a slight drop in overall environmental health between 2016 and 2019.
4. New South Wales
New South Wales was in the middle of the pack, and also saw slight decreases in its score from previous years.
Guo said areas with lower environmental risks and better conditions that reduced mortality risk, like Tasmania and Hobart, received higher scores.
3. South Australia
South Australia's health results stayed mostly the same between 2016-2019, earning it a respectable third place.
2. Victoria
The study's authors said Melbourne's higher score compared to Sydney reflects a combination of better air quality, favourable climate and other environmental conditions, and higher socioeconomic advantages, which are linked to lower health risks.
Melbourne was the second-best city in the country, while Victoria was second for states as well.
1. Tasmania
Hobart, and Tasmania more broadly were found to be the healthiest place to live in Australia.
"The capital of Tasmania had the highest overall EQHI," Guo said.
"The differences were significant, with Hobart showing exceptionally good results (highest scores)."
Share a tip-off, video or photo with us
