Money doesn't buy happiness, goes the adage. The results of a recent survey conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics prove just that.

The CBS analyzed 16 cities based on their standard of living. The cities were divided into three categories.

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The first category includes the cities with the highest standard of living: Kfar Saba, Ramat Gan, Rehovot, Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and Rishon Lezion. The second group included Holon, Beersheba, Petah Tikva, Haifa, Netanya, and Bnei Brak, all ranked as cities with a mid-level quality of life. The third group consisted of Beit Shemesh, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Bat Yam, and Jerusalem, whose living standards the CBS ranked lowest.

The first five cities stand out for employment, housing density, ability to be promoted at work, access to computers, and more possibility of professional advancement for women. The investment in the cities' appearance was evident as well, with an emphasis on parks, sanitation, and the environment.

The research reveals a large gap between these affluent cities and the cities from the third category.

Beit Shemesh was notable for different reasons. Its residents, for example, reported the highest trust in the healthcare system and a sense of belonging, thanks to family members and volunteer work. Ashkelon boasted the most people over age 30 with higher education. Ashdod reported the highest level of security in the cybersphere. Bat Yam had the lowest infant mortality rate, and its residents reported the highest satisfaction with the transportation system and trust in the government. Jerusalem residents reported the lowest levels of loneliness and depression.

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IDI's report showed that while the integration of ultra-Orthodox men into the workforce and academic institutions remains sluggish, haredi women are doing far better on both fronts.

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This has resulted in an increase in the income of haredi families, as shown by more vacations in Israel and abroad, and a considerable rise in car ownership.

Researchers Dr. Lee Cahaner and Dr. Gilad Malach were quoted by financial daily Globes as saying, "The processes of integration of haredi households continue, evidenced both by employment and income levels of women and by partial adoption of middle-class lifestyle characteristics. The integration of haredi men, however, particularly as far as employment and academic studies are concerned, has come to a halt, apparently because of an absence of economic incentives."

According to the IDI, in 2017, the average gross monthly income of haredi households grew by 10% to over 15,000 shekels ($4,300) This compares with a rise of just 5% for non-haredi households.

"The result is, first of all, a substantial fall in the rate of poverty as measured by per capita income, from 52% in 2013 to 43% in 2017. This is still severe, but the trend of improvement is dramatic," the report said.

IDI said that much of this change can be attributed to ultra-Orthodox women and it all starts with education.

The report noted that most haredi girls receive their high school education in religious seminaries and there is a steady rise in matriculation rates – from 31% in the 2008/09 school year to 51% in 2016/17.

There is also a growing number of haredi women who pursue higher education and in the past decade, the number of haredi women, studying for academic degrees has more than doubled to 8,400 (70%) of all haredi students in the 2018/19 academic year.

"The modernization of haredi society continues, and what is interesting is that haredi society itself is aware of the process," Malach told Globes. He further attributes the rise in the standard of living to the rise in earned income among haredi women, but also to greater state support, and to negative income tax for people on low incomes.

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