This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Hancock, S, Wells, Y. The change in quality of life for older Australians: A rural and urban comparison. Aust J Rural Health. 2019; 27: 322– 327, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.12553. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.