People who experience stronger place attachment—i.e., feeling comfortable and secure in the place they live—report greater subjective well-being. However, research has yet to understand some of the underlying mechanisms explaining this association. The aim of this study was to examine whether perceived environmental quality mediated the associations of place attachment with life satisfaction, happiness, and optimism. In a large cross-sectional study (N = 4,053), we conducted phone interviews with individuals who resided in different Portuguese municipalities. Participants who resided in municipalities with small population sizes (vs. medium and large population sizes) reported stronger place attachment, higher perceived environmental quality, and greater subjective well-being. Likewise, participants who resided in an inland region (vs. coastal region) also reported higher perceived environmental quality. A mediation analysis further showed that stronger place attachment was associated with higher perceived environmental quality, more life satisfaction, more happiness, and higher optimism. Aligned with our reasoning, these associations were mediated by perceived environmental quality. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

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place attachment,life satisfaction,happiness,optimism,perceived environmental quality