The biennial Quality of Life survey conducted by Nielsen, surveyed how people in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, the Wellington region, Christchurch and Dunedin feel about their cities.
Around one in six Wellingtonians thought their quality of life was excellent – higher than average across the cities involved. Overall, 89 percent of Wellington residents felt their quality of life was excellent, very good or good. That was up from 87 percent in the 2016 survey.
Ninety-four percent agreed or strongly agreed Wellington was a great place to live, and 89 percent agreed or strongly agreed they felt a sense of pride in their area.
“The numbers back what people are telling us, that the capital is a fantastic place to live, and people have a sense of pride,” says Mayor Justin Lester.
Of all the centres surveyed, more Wellingtonians thought people sleeping in cars or on the street was a big problem, and that begging in the street was a bit of a problem.
“We are also looking out for our neighbours and those less well-off, and feel safer in our city,” adds the Mayor.
Wellingtonians also generally feel safe:
- 76 percent saying they felt very safe (just 2 percent felt unsafe) in their own homes after dark.
- 81 percent felt very safe in the city during the day.
- 85 percent say they felt very safe or fairly safe walking alone in their neighbourhood after dark.
- 73 percent felt very safe or fairly safe in the city centre after dark.
Wellington was also the city with the most positive views on diversity:
- 77 percent thought it made Wellington better or a much better place to live.
Wellingtonians like where their houses are located and can afford to heat them, however, there were concerns about the size and quality of houses, and dampness from those who wanted better accommodation.
- Wellingtonians, along with Porirua (60 percent), were more likely to belong to a local Facebook group or online community, or a professional network (40 percent), but the least likely (15 percent) to belong to a church or faith-based group.
- Wellingtonians were also the top citizens for supporting Wellington City Council decisions: 45 percent agreed or strongly agreed they were confident in the Council's decision making.
- Wellingtonians also topped the list for thinking there was a rich and diverse arts scene.
- Additionally, Wellington had the best numbers for fulltime and part-time employment, and 59 percent thought they had enough money for their needs.