The latest survey, carried out earlier this year and released today, show 85% of Dunedin residents think the city is a great place to live.
Next highest were Christchurch, Greater Wellington and Tauranga, all on 81%.
The survey also found nearly nine out of 10 Dunedin residents rate their quality of life positively (87%), while six out of 10 residents said they enjoyed a good work-life balance (61%).
They were less enthusiastic about the Dunedin City Council, it seems.
Rangahau te Korou o te Ora/Quality of Life Survey is carried out every two years across New Zealand’s nine largest urban areas – Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Hutt, Porirua, Wellington City, the greater Wellington region, Christchurch and Dunedin.
The survey took place between March 28 and June 13 this year.
The total sample was 7518 and Dunedin had 719 respondents.
Dunedin mayor-elect Jules Radich said the survey results reinforced Dunedin's reputation as a fantastic city in which to live, work, study and play.
"With marvellous scenery, precious wildlife, rich heritage, a highly educated population, and innovative businesses, it’s no wonder people thoroughly enjoy living here," Mr Radich said.
"Nearly all (95%) Dunedin people surveyed feel safe in the city centre during the day, while 52% agreed that their current housing costs were affordable. Dunedin rated higher than anywhere else in the country on both these measures.
"While full of positive results, the survey also reveals some areas of concern," Mr Radich said.
"For example, only one quarter of Dunedin residents surveyed said they had confidence in council decision-making, while just 28% felt that the public had an influence on council decision-making.
"Of respondents who felt the city had got worse as a place to live compared to 12 months ago, the biggest contributing factor was dissatisfaction with government/local government.
"As the newly-elected mayor, one of my first priorities is to restore the community’s trust and confidence in the council and start to turn these numbers around."
Tauranga had the highest overall rating for quality of life (90%), followed by Wellington City (89%), Hutt and Greater Wellington (both 88%) and Dunedin (87%).
