Britain’s happiest cities, ranked: Do YOU reside close to one of many 220 named on Rightmove’s record?

The place we call home can make a huge difference to our general happiness. 

While everyone has their own priorities, being part of a strong community, close to nature and with nice places to eat, drink and shop are usually high on the list.

But which places in Britain have the happiest inhabitants? A new survey by Rightmove set out to reveal just that. 

It asked thousands of residents in 220 areas how they felt about where they live, from the friendliness of the people to employment opportunities. 

Based on this information, the property website has come up with a definitive list of the happiest places in Britain. 

See the full list, and read about why the towns are so beloved by their inhabitants, below.  

What’s the happiest place in Britain? 

Skipton in North Yorkshire has been crowned the happiest location to live in Britain.

At the other end of the spectrum, residents in the East Midlands were found to be the least content about where they were living.  

Skipton bumped last year’s winner, Woodbridge in Suffolk, from the top spot in Rightmove’s latest Happy at Home index. 

Residents of Skipton valued its proximity to green spaces and nature, friendliness of the locals and decent access to essential services like schools and doctors, Rightmove said.  

The market town of Skipton, which came sixth in last year’s rankings, is known as the ‘Gateway to the Dales’ due to its proximity to Yorkshire Dales National Park. 

The town has maintained its medieval layout and boasts a castle, parish church and traditional high street market place.

‘Combining community, countryside and communication, Skipton has it all’, Patrick McCutcheon, head of residential at Dacre, Son & Hartley in Yorkshire, said.

He said Skipton, where average property prices are £326,093, enjoyed a ‘highly desirable living environment with immediate access to the Dales and a beautiful setting amidst some of the region’s finest countryside.’

Residents in Richmond upon Thames in Surrey ensured their town came second in the happiest places to live in Britain 2025 rankings.

Richmond is notoriously expensive and average property prices in the town come in at £942,522, while average monthly rental costs are £3,189, Rightmove said. 

Amy Reynolds, head of sales at Anthony Roberts in Richmond upon Thames, said: ‘Richmond has a rare ability to feel both vibrant and calming at the same time, and I think that balance is a huge part of why people are genuinely happy living here.’

Camden in London came in third as the happiest place to live in Britain, making it to the top of the rankings for the first time in the 14-year history of the study. 

Known for its live music venues, markets and street performers, properties in Camden are not cheap. 

Buyers looking to snap up a home in Britain’s third-happiest place to live will need to stump up around £1,036,786 for a home. Tenants in the borough face forking out £3,523 in rent a month. 

Harrogate, Woodbridge, Altrincham and Macclesfield reached fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh place in the happiness rankings, respectively. Stirling, Cirencester and Hexham also made it to the top 10.      

Stirling in Scotland was ranked as the happiest place to live in Scotland, while Anglesey came out on top in Wales. 

The survey measures how residents feel about their local area across 15 ‘happiness factors’. These range from the sense of togetherness within the community and access to green spaces, to the feeling of belonging that a place fosters. 

Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert, said: ‘Each year our study celebrates all the different things that make us feel happy with where we live – our neighbours, green spaces, having access to important services. 

‘A lot more goes into choosing an area to live other than the home itself.’

She added: ‘Being within easy reach of nature and green spaces regularly comes out as an important factor for people, along with having friendly neighbours and feeling you can truly be yourself where you live.’

What makes a happy place to live?

Delving into the details of Rightmove’s findings, residents in the south west of England were, on average, found to be the happiest with where they live out of any region in Britain. 

Most people who think they would be happier living elsewhere said they would select a location in the South West of England, the survey found.  

Looking at broader trends, Rightmove said people who lived in a rural location were more likely to say they felt content about where they lived compared to those living in urban or suburban locations. 

The survey found that people living near a national park or Area of Outstanding National Beauty were also more likely to feel happier about where they lived compared to others without such perks on their doorstep.  

‘Riverside, woodland or coastal locations were also more likely to have happy residents’, Rightmove added. 

The survey also showed that people tend to feel happier about where they live as they get older. 

People aged between 18 to 24 were the least likely to feel content about where they live, while those aged 65 or over were more likely to be happy about where they have set up home. 

While many locations in Britain retain their rural charm, Labour is on a mission to build 1.5 million homes across England by the end of parliament and has vowed to streamline the planning system.

In September, housing secretary Steve Reed said the Government was ‘absolutely committed’ to the housebuilding target. 

Only 38,780 new homes were completed between January and March this year, according to the Office for National Statistics – just over half the amount needed in every three-month period to meet the target. 

Top 10 happiest places to live in Britain 

1. Skipton, Yorkshire

The people of Skipton have plenty to smile about and it’s easy to see why. There’s an imposing, 900-year-old castle which keeps graceful watch over the historic cobbled High Street, while the town itself – some 18 miles north-west of Bradford and home to around 14,500 people – is encircled by glorious countryside and limestone hills.

Average property prices are £326,093 and for many, retail therapy is one of the attractions that brings people to Skipton. Independent shops run by people who have lived and worked in the town for decades are the arterial life of the town centre. They include Drake & Macefield, the Yorkshire borough of Craven’s longest-established independent family butchers.

 2. Richmond upon Thames, Greater London

Richmond upon Thames in south-west London has a lot to offer that makes people happy. The borough, which claimed top spot in the rankings in 2023, features more than 500 hectares of green areas such as Kew Gardens and Bushy Park. It is also home to historical sites such as Hampton Court Palace and is where the hit Netflix show Ted Lasso was filmed. 

Richmond upon Thames has long been a favourite retreat for royalty and you have to be pretty wealthy to live there now. According to Rightmove, average property prices in the town come in at £942,522, while average monthly rental costs are £3,189.

3. Camden, Greater London 

Located in north London, the borough of Camden is known for its trendy shops, lively nightlife and alternative culture. This, however, is contrasted by the number of green spaces on officer such as Regent’s Park and nearby Hampstead Heath. Locals and visitors alike are also able to enjoy walks along Regent’s Canal. 

Camden was also recently included in the so-called ‘London banana’ – a curved area of the city said to encompass the best areas to live. House prices in Camden are nevertheless high and currently sit above £1million, according to Rightmove. This does not seem to be affecting the quality in life. In 2018, it emerged that women born in the borough have the highest life expectancies in the UK. 

4. Harrogate, Yorkshire and the Humber

With its grand hotels, bustling tea rooms and its well-preserved Victorian heritage, Harrogate has often been considered a ‘very happy’ place to life. The North Yorkshire spa town is also renowned for its ‘healing’ mineral waters and having one of Britain’s last fully working Victorian Turkish baths. It topped the list of the happiest places to live in Britain for three consecutive years, but was knocked down to third place in 2016. 

‘Harrogate is a fantastic part of the world in which to live,’ the ex-Tory council leader Richard Cooper said. ‘We are surrounded by some of the UK’s most beautiful scenery, have fantastic shopping, a wide variety of restaurants and cafes, and great entertainment and leisure opportunities – including some unique experiences such as the elegant Turkish Baths.’

5. Woodbridge, East of England

The charming Suffolk town of Woodbridge is known for its community spirit and friendliness. It has also been praised for its access to essential services such as doctors and schools. All this does come at a cost, though: the average price of a house in Woodbridge is £462,734. 

Another aspect that gives the town the edge on the happiness scale is its weather, which is uncharacteristically good for England throughout the year. Data collated by the Met Office and other weather agencies suggests it experiences warmer spells, less intense cold and significantly less rain.

6. Altrincham, North West 

Altrincham, which sits just ten miles south west of central Manchester, is a popular place to settle down for footballers and their wives. It is one of the most desirable postcodes in the North West but it has not always been that way. Not long ago, Altrincham’s high street was dubbed a ‘ghost town’. High business rates and the nearby Trafford Shopping Centre were blamed for many shops closing down. 

However, a £6million regeneration scheme spearheaded by the council has transformed the market town. Public spaces have been rejuvenated and it has since been dubbed a ‘mini Dulwich’. 

7. Macclesfield, North West

Located on the edge of the Peak District National Park, Macclesfield in Derbyshire is renowned for its industrial heritage and outdoor activities. The area was once a world leader in silk production with many workers’ homes in the town still preserved today. 

Macclesfield is famous for its cobbled and thriving food and drink culture – with a Treacle Market being held on the last Sunday of each month. House prices in the area are currently sitting at an average of £344,807, according to Rightmove. 

8. Stirling, Scotland

Stirling in Scotland is famous for its top attractions including the historic Stirling Castle. It is also known for the iconic The National Wallace Monument and the Stirling Smith Art Gallery.

House prices in Stirling are relatively low with the average property costing £226,547, according to Rightmove. 

9. Cirencester, South West

Cirencester is a vibrant market town located in the Cotswolds. It is known for its stunning architecture and independent shops. There is also a chance you might bump into one of the town’s famous locals, with a host of celebrities recently flocking to buy houses in the Cotswolds.

Cirencester is famous for its history and is home to large and internationally significant collections of archaeology. It is also possible to visit the Roman Cirencester Amphitheatre on the outskirts of the town. 

10. Hexham, North East

Plagued by marauding Scots in the Middle Ages and home to England’s oldest purpose-built prison, its name was once used as a euphemism for Hell. But the small market town of Hexham in Northumberland now seems to be a byword for paradise. It boasts a seventh-century abbey, idyllic countryside and a farmer’s market. 

 And if that’s not appealing enough, Hexham – which is home to around 11,000 people – has an average house price of £331,198. The town was voted the happiest place to live in Britain in 2021. 

Where are the unhappiest places to live?

Residents in the East Midlands were found to be the least happy with where they were living.

‘However, the margins are small, and overall more people across Great Britain are happy than unhappy with where they live,’ Rightmove said. 

Five of the ten unhappiest locations to live were in Greater London, with Barking and Dagenham, Newham, Havering, Enfield and Brent all scoring poorly. 

In Barking and Dagenham, locals previously blasted their council for turning it into a ‘shambles’ – as they compared their shopping centre to a ‘ghost town’.

East London has long been synonymous with hipsters and gentrification – but Barking is a far cry from the arty coffee shops, independent boutiques and trendy pubs of Brick Lane.

Instead of contending with an £8 pint in a gastro pub or queues at their favourite artisan bakery, locals in Barking are stuck with shops lying empty and homeless camps in their streets.

The overall crime rate in Barking and Dagenham in 2023 was 122 crimes per 1,000 people, which is 19 per cent higher than the average for the rest of London.

On top of this, for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland as a whole, Barking and Dagenham is among the top 20 most dangerous cities.

Beyond Greater London, Rochester, Walsall, Luton, Peterborough and Bradford also make it to the list of the gloomiest places to live in Britain, as voted by residents.

Homes for sale in the happiest places to live in Britain 

This freehold three-bedroom terraced cottage in Skipton is on sale for £315,000 via Dacre Son & Hartley. 

It comes with a charming pink front door which has a stained-glass window. 

There is a quaint cottage garden at the front of the house and the kitchen and bathroom has been finished to a particularly high standard. 

Location is key to many buyers and this 1930s three-bedroom flat in Richmond upon Thames, Surrey, is moments away from the town’s bustling train station. 

The flat, listed for £500,000 via Chase Buchanan, is in a popular Art Deco block and has both a balcony and off-street parking. 

It spans approximately 818 sq. ft. and is light and bright inside. 

This three-bedroom flat in Camden spans two floors of a period conversion.

The flat, being sold via Chestertons for £750,000, covers 1,300 sq. ft. and offers prospective buyers a great project. 

The property is well-located as it is close to the amenities of Camden, Kentish Town and Kings Cross. The green open space of Camden Square is a three minute walk away.