Ask Australians living beyond the major capital cities how they are feeling about life in 2025 and how they engage with their community, and the answers very much depend on their generation.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The 2025 Heartbeat of Australia report, the country's most comprehensive annual study of national sentiment, reveals a profound age divide in how regional Australians view their life in their local community, with older generations reporting significantly higher levels of satisfaction, belonging and optimism than their younger counterparts.
The disparity is visible in everything from housing and volunteering to work and family life, painting a complex portrait of a regional Australia in transition.
Conducted by ACM, publisher of this masthead, in partnership with research agency Australian Regional Insights and the University of Canberra, the 2025 Heartbeat report is based on a survey of more than 7300 people.
The study, now in its fourth year, examines confidence and community wellbeing in regional Australia, which is home to 9.9 million Aussies - or 36 per cent of the country's total population.
The Heartbeat results show that people in the regions continue to record higher life satisfaction than residents of the five major metropolitan cities, but the experiences of regional living are different across the generations.
For example, while 58 per cent of all regional residents agree with the statement "my community is a great place to live", this figure masks a deep split: 76 per cent of the "Builders" generation born before 1945 and 72 per cent of Baby Boomers (born 1946-64) agree, but the sentiment drops away among younger cohorts, with only 48 per cent of Millennials (1980-94) and 51 per cent of Gen Z (1995-2007) feeling the same.
This disparity extends to feelings of social inclusion. While 70 per cent of Builders and 69 per cent of Boomers said they "feel welcome" in their local community, this sentiment is shared by only 48 per cent of Millennials and 53 per cent of Gen Z.
Optimism about the future is also fractured along generational lines. Builders are by far the most hopeful, with 61 per cent agreeing "my community has a bright future". Baby Boomers follow at 54 per cent.
This optimism fades dramatically with younger groups. Gen X residents in the regions were the most pessimistic, with only 39 per cent seeing a bright future, followed closely by Millennials at 40 per cent.
The security of a roof over your head is evidently a key factor. The most dramatic generational divide among regional survey respondents was in housing. While 84 per cent of the Builders generation and 82 per cent of Boomers report owning their home, only 46 per cent of Millennials and 27 per cent of Gen Z could say the same.
The inverse is true for renting. Gen Z (31 per cent) and Millennials (26 per cent) are the most likely to be renters, while only 8 per cent of Boomers and 9 per cent of Builders rent.
Asked about their connection to their community and how they engage with their community, Boomers lead the way in traditional civic contributions, with 45 per cent saying they volunteer. This is notably higher than the 33 per cent reported by both Gen X and Millennials, and 27 per cent for Gen Z.
But younger generations lead in economic participation. Gen X (42 per cent) and Millennials (41 per cent) are the most likely to say they work in their community, compared to 19 per cent of Boomers. When it comes to local enterprise, 18 per cent of Gen X and 18 per cent of Millennials identify as a "business owner," compared to 10 per cent of Boomers and 7 per cent of Gen Zs.
Engagement in local sport is strongest among younger residents. Millennials are the most likely to be a member of a local sporting club (28 per cent) and a supporter of a local sports team (25 per cent). The Builders generation was the least likely to be club members (15 per cent) or supporters (10 per cent).
