A gloomy picture is painted of life for people living in regional centres such as Wanganui, in a state-of-the-nation report from the Salvation Army.
Mixed Fortunes was written by policy analyst Alan Johnson for the Salvation Army.
As the name suggests, the report provides evidence of the mixed fortunes being experienced by people and communities across New Zealand.
Location matters to the types of opportunities people have and the quality of life that they might expect, according to the report.
"There are always parts of a country that are comfortable, enjoyable places to live, and there are always places where life is more of a struggle and where outcomes can often be quite random and bad."