NSW Health research shows Ku-ring-gai on the north shore is the healthiest place to live, while Brewarrina in the State's far north-west is the unhealthiest.

Also in the top 10 are the affluent suburbs of Mosman, Woollahra, North Sydney, Lane Cove, Hunters Hill and Manly.

Lagging at the bottom are Fairfield, Central Darling, Walgett, Auburn, Kempsey and Coonamble.

The figures, contained in the NSW Chief Health Officer's report for 2006, measure the prevalence of health-risk factors and higher rates of hospitalisation, death and other adverse health outcomes related to socio-economic disadvantage.

Unhealthy pockets of population are mirrored by higher disease, smoking and drinking rates.

Brewarrina has the highest proportion of smoking-induced illnesses. Lung cancer is double the state average, while Ku-ring-gai has the lowest incidence.

Residents of Bourke, Walgett, Central Darling and Brewarrina are the most likely to have alcohol-related illnesses.

These include some cancers, heart and liver disease, stroke, gastritis and dementia.

Health-conscious Ku-ring-gai residents have the lowest rate of preventable deaths - which are those that can be avoided by following healthier habits.

Mike Whitlow and his daughters - Sophie, 14, and Nina, 12 - are typical of Ku-ring-gai residents.

The family plays various sports and tries to eat well. "There are lots of parks and open spaces here,'' Mr Whitlow says.

 "We are lucky; we hardly ever have to use health services, but the doctor and hospital have been really good on the rare occasion we have had to go.''

Sunil Prakash, general manager of Brewarrina Shire Council, says Brewarrina is one of the most disadvantaged local government areas in NSW.

"It is a very small town with only basic facilities,'' he says.

"We always have a problem attracting doctors, dentists and chemists. We try to overcome this by offering very reasonable rent.''

Brewarrina's isolation means residents have to travel 400km to Dubbo to see a specialist.

Woollahra in inner Sydney has the lowest rate of fatal heart attacks - 30 per cent fewer than the state average, while Jerilderie in the far west has the highest.

Sydney metropolitan areas have a far lower rate of heart deaths than regional and remote areas.

Life expectancy is highest in south-eastern Sydney and the Illawarra region. Men can expect to live to 79.7 and women to 84.6.

People in the greater west, which takes in Bathurst, Orange, Broken Hill, Dubbo, Brewarrina, Bourke and Walgett, die three years earlier than in other parts of the State - men at an average of 76 and women at 81.7.

But those in even remoter areas have averages as low as 61.9 for men and 72.5 for women.

Experts attribute the gap in health standards to factors such as poverty, education, lifestyle and access to nutritious foods.

People living in remote areas tend to have less access to health services and fresh food. Aboriginal communities generally suffer more illnesses, have higher rates of drinking and smoking. They also die earlier.

Professor Bruce Armstrong, chairman of the population health priority taskforce for NSW Health, recognises socio-economic influence on health, but believes there is another factor involved.

"It's not just that people of low socio-economic status might smoke more, have less healthy diets and have less knowledge about preventative health,'' he said.

"There is evidence that people who have less control over their own destinies have poorer health.

"People with more control over their own lives find it much easier to negotiate health services and are more likely to ask for things to be carefully explained to them.''

Tell us the health problems affecting your area below...

Full list of best to worst suburbs:

1. Ku-ring-gai
2. Mosman
3. Woollahra
4. North Sydney
5. Lane Cove
6. Hunters Hill
7. Manly
8. Baulkham Hills
9. Pittwater
10. Willoughby
11. Hornsby
12. Waverley (A)
13. Warringah
14. Snowy River
15. Sutherland Shire
16. Leichhardt
17. Canada Bay
18. Ryde
19. Blue Mountains
20. Kiama
21. Conargo
22. Yass Valley
23. Kogarah
24. Randwick
25. Camden
26. Hume
27. Sydney
28. Evans
29. Jerilderie
30. Wingecarribee
31. Strathfield
32. Ashfield
33. Upper Lachlan
34. Wollondilly
35. Lockhart
36. Hurstville
37. Hawkesbury
38. Boorowa
39. Cooma-Monaro
40. Murray
41. Wakool
42. Cabonne
43. Gosford
44. Bland
45. Greater Queanbeyan
46. Armidale Dumaresq
47. Holbrook
48. Burwood
49. Severn
50. Weddin
51. Coolamon
52. Berrigan
53. Marrickville
54. Parry
55. Corowa
56. Walcha
57. Penrith
58. Wagga Wagga
59. Dungog
60. Uralla
61. Paramatta
62. Rockdale
63. Ballina
64. Singleton
65. Lake Macquarie
66. Wollongong
67. Quirindi
68. Scone
69. Holroyd
70. Nundle
71. Yallaroi
72. Port Stephens
73. Newcastle
74. Gloucester
75. Culcairn
76. Tumbarumba
77. Bathurst
78. Coolah
79. Dubbo
80. Bega Valley
81. Gundagai
82. Carrathool
83. Deniliquin
84. Albury
85. Urana
86. Hastings
87. Temora
88. Wentworth
89. Oberon
90. Young
91. Leeton
92. Bombala
93. Orange
94. Griffith
95. Mudgee
96. Forbes
97. Gilgandra
98. Greater Argyle
99. Eurobodalla
100. Cowra
101. Hay
102. Cootamundra
103. Parkes
104. Harden
105. Shoalhaven
106. Narrabri
107. Great Lakes
108. Merriwa
109. Maitland
110. Byron
111. Coffs Harbour
112. Wyong
113. Glen Innes
114. Blacktown
115. Botany Bay
116. Bankstown
117. Guyra
118. Shellharbour
119. Bingara
120. Murrurundi
121. Gunnedah
122. Inverell
123. Bellingen
124. Liverpool
125. Barraba
126. Clarence Valley
127. Greater Taree
128. Muswellbrook
129. Campbelltown
130. Lithgow
131. Tenterfield
132. Manilla
133. Moree Plains
134. Blayney
135. Narrandera
136. Balranald
137. Murrumbidgee
138. Lachlan
139. Cobar
140. Warren
141. Junee
142. Lismore
143. Tweed
144. Coonabarabran
145. Tumut
146. Bogan
147. Narromine
148. Unincorporated NSW
149. Wellington
150. Kyogle
151. Bourke
152. Cessnock
153. Rylstone
154. Canterbury
155. Richmond Valley
156. Nambucca
157. Coonamble
158. Kempsey
159. Auburn
160. Walgett
161. Central Darling
162. Fairfield
163. Brewarrina