Dispersal policies that place humanitarian migrants outside non-metropolitan locations are increasingly common, but evidence of their impact on integration outcomes is mixed. By combining spatial, longitudinal and
multidimensional perspectives into a unified analytical framework, this study examines the relationships between non-metropolitan settlement and a diverse range of objective and subjective integration outcomes. To
accomplish this, we leverage five waves of panel data from Building a New Life in Australia: The Longitudinal Study
of Humanitarian Migrants (2013–2018). Our results indicate that non-metropolitan settlement is related to better
access to employment and stable housing and a lower likelihood of being Not in Employment, Education, and
Training (NEET), but a higher risk of experiencing discrimination. Over time, humanitarian migrants’ income
and English-language proficiency trajectories are flatter in non-metropolitan than metropolitan regions, pointing
to potential long-term challenges of rural settlement. Encouragingly, we find no statistically significant differences in physical and mental health, sense of belonging and life satisfaction. While the integration outcomes of
humanitarian migrants in non-metropolitan Australia are mixed, their subjective well-being is not negatively
impacted. This suggests that, despite challenges, there are opportunities for humanitarian-migrant settlement
outside of major cities.