If you could choose where to live in the world, where would it be? Would you opt for a quiet country life or do you prefer the vibrancy of a big city? Research by expert migration agents True Blue has uncovered the most desirable locations to settle down in both the UK and Australia.
When asked the question: ‘Where would you prefer to live in the UK?’, 750 respondents gave their answers, with just under 1 in 3 (29.8%) stating they would prefer to live in Cornwall on the south-west coast. The capital city of London followed close behind with 25.7%, with the increasingly cosmopolitan northern hub of Manchester also taking 10.3% of the votes. Other locations such as the Midlands and Cumbria followed behind with 10.1% and 9.1% respectively.
In a second survey, the same number of people were asked the question: ‘Where would you prefer to live in Australia?’ the majority of respondents (33.6%) selected The Sunshine Coast as their ideal place to settle down. Second on their list was Melbourne, with 27% selecting this option. Perth came in third with 17.7%, with Adelaide and Hobart coming in at fourth and fifth with 10% and 6.7% of the vote respectively.
For both countries, it seems that overall people would prefer to kick back and relax in quiet countryside rather than live amongst the urban maze of a city centre. But when the results are broken down, you start to discover a drastic change of opinion depending on the age of those surveyed, which is perhaps unsurprising.
Generation gap
The results of the surveys would change from one end of the spectrum to the other once the age of the respondents started to rise. For both the UK and Australia, the results showed that younger people would prefer to reside in the hustle and bustle of a city, whereas the older generation sought the peace and quiet of a more relaxed location.
In the UK survey, 41.8% of 18 to 24-year-olds said they would prefer to live in London, along with 31.3% of 25 to 34-year-olds. All other age categories (35 to 44, 45 to 54, 55 to 64 and 65+) selected the beautiful county of Cornwall; with an average of 37.3% respondents from these brackets choosing this option.
The same can be said when it comes to choosing a place to live Down Under. In this survey, 36% of 18 to 24-year-olds said they would choose to live in the vibrant city of Melbourne. All other age brackets selected The Sunshine Coast in Queensland, an area renowned for its stunning coastline and clear blue waters, with an average of 34.8% of respondents choosing this idyllic spot.
It’s no secret that cities present more opportunities in terms of jobs, which is certainly a much more attractive option for graduates who are fresh out of university, or young people who are looking to embark on the first stage of their careers. Moving to the big city to chase after your dream job is certainly a move more suited to those who have very little tying them to one location, and would be more flexible to settle down in a city such as London, Melbourne or Perth. On the other hand, those who are more established in their working life may be more likely to move to a quieter location, perhaps as they start a family or even retire, which could be why locations such as The Sunshine Coast and Cornwall are more popular with the higher age categories.
Why Perth and Melbourne?
As two of the fastest growing cities in Australia, it is unsurprising that Melbourne and Perth took second and third place overall as the cities people desired to live in most. Melbourne in particular is regularly featured in the top ten of lists of the most liveable cities in the world; taking the top spot of the Education Intelligence Unit’s list in 2013 and coming fourth as part of global affairs magazine Monocle’s annual Quality of Life Survey.
But the beautiful greenery and stunning coastal views aren’t the only benefits of living in Melbourne. In the scoring for the most liveable cities scale, this southern capital was given 100 out of 100 for its outstanding healthcare, infrastructure and education system, and a solid 95 average in environment and culture. Great for property and jobs, there is barely a bad word to be said about Melbourne, which shows why a huge number of people would choose to live there.
Perth is a real up-and-coming city in Australia, and is quickly becoming one of the places to move to for both native Australians and those choosing to migrate Down Under. A strong local economy, vast natural resources and exciting upcoming projects, such as the Elizabeth Quay construction initiative, allows for plenty of employment opportunities across a variety of sectors. It is also benefitting from a stable housing market, thanks to an investment from local government to get first-time buyers on the property ladder.
As you can see, it’s no surprise that these cities are two of the most desirable places to live in the whole of Australia. With plenty of opportunities for both native Australians and skilled expats, there has never been a better time to make your move Down Under.
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