Most people throughout Canada, the United States and Australia would choose to live in the suburbs over the city, according to a recent survey from Compare the Market Australia (CMA).

The main reason? The suburbs are more relaxing and quieter.

The study also found that those choosing the city over the suburbs were more open to the reverse (for Canadians, this was 61.5 per cent). On the other hand, people favouring the suburbs were less likely to want city life — 45.8 per cent for Canadians.

Quintessential “white picket fence” dream still very much alive

Like other respondents, Canadians who prefer the suburbs feel this way because they’re “quieter and more relaxing”. Those who would choose city life say it’s because they love being near public spaces and hubs, followed by enjoyment of biking or walking.

More Canadians favour cities than Americans and Australians

54.7 per cent of Canadians preferred suburban over city living, with a higher number of Australians (77.8 per cent), Americans (57.2 per cent) and older generations preferring suburbia. Another key finding is that North American millennials were the least keen on the suburbs than any other demographic surveyed.

“While we may have only measured people’s attitudes towards two general living situations, it is important to remember that there are many others out there that we didn’t include in this survey,” Stephen Zeller, CMA’s general manager of money, says.

“Not to mention that every place is different, and even the idea of ‘the suburbs’ can mean different things to different people. Even still, these results demonstrate a large appetite for ‘suburban’ living among the population of Australia and North America.”

Read the full report here.