People who live in rural areas are happier than city dwellers, new research has found.
The study surveyed 400,000 people across Canada using a widely-recognized happiness scale.
Cities have higher salaries, higher education levels and lower unemployment rates.
However, that meant nothing in terms of joy: people who lived in the countryside were, on average, eight times happier than people in urban areas, the study found.
The researchers said the findings lay bare the undeniable importance of strong communities over social isolation.
Scores of studies have shown, city-dwellers tend not to have as much regular contact with family or friends.
And, as a study found this week, social isolation can literally change the brain, flooding the brain with a chemical that fuels fear and aggression.
