Rightmove’s annual Happy at Home index has revealed that Hexham in Northumberland has once again been crowned the happiest place to live in the UK. The town regained the top spot which it last held in 2019. Data from Rightmove found that residents in the market town were happier than any other area.
The average asking price in Richmond upon Thames in Greater London is £1,196,892.
Stirling is this year’s happiest place in Scotland and Llandrindod Wells – which came in fifth place overall – is the happiest place to live in Wales.
Interestingly, a sense of belonging, friendliness of the locals and being able to be yourself were the most important factors when it came to feeling happy.
A third of this year’s top 20 happiest towns were market towns which were typically smaller with weekly markets that bring the community together.
Those in villages were more likely to be happy in their area than those in towns and cities as they were likely to feel more of a sense of community and have access to nature and green spaces.
People living in coastal villages were the happiest of all and those in coastal towns or cities were more likely to be happy than those living somewhere similar inland.
Rightmove has predicted that by the end of the year, 1.5 million transactions will have taken place.
This year’s study also shown that those who have moved house are happier now in their area than those who haven’t, regardless of where they have decide to move to.
Sixty-nine percent of people who moved in the last year, chose to move to a different area.
Meanwhile, nearly two-thirds of these people, said they are happier in the area they now live, compared with where they moved from.
One in five said they were just as happy in their new area.
Those who were happiest in a new area were those who moved from a town to a village with 81 percent saying they were happier where they live now and 11 percent were just as happy as they were before.
Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s Director of Property Data, said a lot of people have decided to move this year which has made it an “incredibly busy” year for the housing market.
He said: ”It is fascinating to see that people who moved in the last 12 months were more likely to be happy in their areas than those who did not.
“Whether it may be a couple looking for a small change in the same area, tenants looking for more space, or a family completely changing their lifestyle and moving from the city to the coast, this has been the year that people have really seized the opportunity to move, and turned ideas into action.”
Rightmove’s Happiest Places to live in Great Britain 2021:
1. Hexham
2. Richmond upon Thames
3. Harrogate
4. Hove
5. Llandrindod Wells
6. Stirling
7. Monmouth
8. St Ives
9. Anglesey
10. Leamington Spa
11. Perth
12. Hitchin
13. Woodbridge
14. Kendal
15. Macclesfield
16. Exeter
17. Salisbury
18. Horsham
19. St. Albans
20. Guildford