Metropolitan misery: Why do Scots live in ‘bad places to live’?

Abstract

This paper uses data from the Scottish Household Survey to investigate urban–rural variations in life satisfaction in Scotland. It reviews the previous literature on spatial differences in life satisfaction and develops an econometric model that includes a range of factors previously shown to affect life satisfaction. Holding these factors constant, Scottish rural dwellers are found to have a significantly higher life satisfaction than city residents. Possible reasons for higher life satisfaction in rural areas are explored before finally drawing policy conclusions.