As part of the Australian Living Standards Study (ALSS) of 5000 families in 12 rural and urban areas of Australia, the Institute conducted a survey of 1100 service providers from the spheres of children's services, community services, education, employment, health, housing, leisure and recreation, safety and security, transport, and youth and amenity services. The survey covered a host of issues associated with living standards and the contribution that service provision makes to family wellbeing. In one of many questions, service providers and families were presented with a list of selected problems that families in their neighbourhoods might face and asked to rate their importance as issues in the local area. The author looks at whether views about problems facing families differ across regions, whether the views of service providers are shared by families, and how both providers and parents rank isolation as a problem for families. In a box inset within the main article titled 'Local factors contributing to living standards: service providers' views', the author presents the responses of service providers regarding which issues are important to their areas as far as the provision of service are concerned. These issues include: the absence of important facilities, high cost of living, high cost of travel to work, and high number of Aboriginal residents.