Rightmove has revealed the top ten happiest places in the UK to live, including St Ives in Cornwall, Galashiels in Scotland, and Woodbridge in the east of England.
St Ives in the south-west took the top spot this year, having alternated with Northumberland’s market town Hexham since 2019. The north-east location achieved fourth position in the 2022 chart.
The criteria for ‘happiest place to live’ includes community spirit, access to green spaces, and artistic and cultural activities.
Tim Bannister, property expert at Rightmove, said: “The last few months have undoubtedly been difficult for many, and as we learned during another difficult period in 2020, this is often when we look to our local area and community for support and happiness.”
When it comes to property prices in the ‘happiest locations’, it is clear people are willing to pay a premium to live in one of them.
For instance, a typical property in St Ives is £523,731, which is roughly £230,000 more than the average house price in the UK, according to the recent House Price Index from Halifax.
Other places in the top ten where it costs considerably more to live include Woodbridge, Harrogate in Yorkshire and The Humber, Anglesey in Wales, Bury St Edmunds in the east, and Cirencester in the south-west.
However, residents obviously think it is worth extending their mortgage payments for longer and paying more for the area.
One local from St Ives, Paul Le Bas, said its “vibrant and active local community” is what sets the Cornish town apart from everywhere else, while its “coastal walks are second to none”.
If you’re looking for financial advice, call our mortgage advisers in Liverpool today.