The cost of living crisis is troubling young people in the Central West, the 23rd annual Mission Australia Youth Survey reports. 

Forty-nine people between the ages of 15 and 19 responded to the Mission Australia Youth Survey distributed in April.

 Four out of five respondents said they were either very or somewhat concerned about the cost of living. 

Nearly half of the respondents said they had to be careful with money in the past year and 38 percent said they had trouble paying for things.

"It's great that young people can vocalise these issues and we get a really broad range of feedback from young people," Megan Boshell, Mission Australia Area Manager for Central and Far West NSW said.

She said the survey's outcome reflects her experience engaging with young people in real life.  

Adding to the cost of living crisis is the lack of affordable housing opportunities for young people. 

"We know that a lot of the young people we work with are experiencing homelessness directly or are at significant risk of homelessness. That's associated with the cost of living," Ms Boshell said. 

"The challenges in terms of just being able to pay rent as well as pay for the necessary items that people and families need is really difficult at the moment."

The lack of accommodation options is particularly glaring in regional and rural areas.

The only homelessness shelters in the Central West are in Orange and Bathurst.  There are no homeless shelters in Far West NSW. 

"There may not be any private rentals available at all and people in these communities may experience homelessness." 

Fifty-seven percent of respondents in the Central West listed mental health as their main obstacle to working or studying.

"We know accessing mental health support in a timely manner is quite difficult in regional and remote communities," Ms Boshell said.

"For people living outside of Dubbo or Orange finding mental health services has become increasingly difficult." 

The majority of respondents said they were happy or very happy with their lives. 

"We work with a lot of young people who will engage in art or different sports. For us, there's a big focus on making sure we align young people to the things that make them feel happy and give them positivity in life."