A comprehensive review of health standards, housing markets, available work, education and environment of every local government area in Australia found Yass Valley sits at 35 out of 590 on a list of the country’s finest regions to live in.

The BankWest Quality of Life Index declares Sydney’s North Shore suburb Ku-ring-gai offers the finest quality of life in Australia.

Yass Valley was not only firmly ingrained in the top 50, but embedded in the top 10 most liveable regional areas in the country.

“We always felt Yass Valley was the country’s best kept secret... but it seems the secret is out,” Mayor Nic Carmody said.

“We’ve had positive growth over the last few years, and with the expansion of Canberra, Yass Valley is becoming a more and more desirable place to live.”

Findings show Yass Valley has the second best housing value for money in NSW, behind the Greater Hume Shire, and the tenth best in Australia.

“The people who live in Yass Valley have always known it’s a great place to live and work,” Katrina Hodgkinson, MP for Burrinjuck said.

“But it’s nice to get outside recognition of this fact.”

The inaugural BankWest Quality of Life Index shows 21 of Australia’s 25 most liveable communities are in urban suburbs, dispelling the common thought the coastal lifestyle is always the most desirable.

Yass Valley is an ideal place to live for people from overseas, according to Robert Hanss, who moved to Yass with his family from Vienna in May 2007.

“We arrived and moved straight into our home, which shows the area is very well organised. We found the people up at the visitors centre were a great help. We’re happy with the schooling. It’s a very good community.”

Halls Creek, located in the Kimberly region of Western Australia, was said to have the lowest quality of life.