One pretty North Yorkshire market town has just been named the UK’s happiest place to live. Thousands of UK residents told Rightmove how satisfied they were with their hometown for the property website’s annual Happy at Home Index, ranking factors such as friendliness of the people and employment opportunities.
Skipton came out on top for the first time, with residents raving about the access to nature and green spaces, the friendliness of the people, and access to essential services like schools and doctors. Residents also appreciated the area’s affordability, with an average house price of £326,093, which is lower than the current national average of £364,833 – the second lowest price tag in the top ten areas this year.
The town was ranked less highly for its access to employment opportunities and desirable jobs, and for living nearby to friends and family.
Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert said: “It’s great to see the town of Skipton getting the attention it deserves this year having ranked highly in previous studies.” It came second in 2020, and sixth in last year’s study.
Patrick McCutcheon, head of an estate agent in Yorkshire, described Skipton as a “highly desirable” place to live in a “beautiful setting amidst some of the region’s finest countryside”.
The historic market town has immediate access to The Dales and is just over an hour from the Lake District, but residents can also reach major cities of Leeds and Manchester quickly, and its station now has direct links to London.
“Combining community, countryside and communication – Skipton has it all,” added the head of Residential at Dacre, Son & Hartley.
The London borough of Richmond-upon-Thames came second, ranked highly for its access to nature and essential local services, and non-essential amenities such as restaurants and shops. Another London borough made it to the podium, with Camden coming in third.
In Scotland, Stirling was ranked the happiest place to live, and Anglesey was this year’s happiest place to live in Wales.
Nature played a huge part in the study, with rural residents more likely to report feeling happy with their hometown than urban and suburban dwellers. Riverside, woodland or coastal locations were also more likely to have happy residents.
The study also revealed that residents who live close to a national park, or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, were happier on average than those who did not.
On average, residents in the South West were the happiest with where they lived, and those in the East Midlands were least happy, but the margins were small, and more people across Great Britain were happy than unhappy with where they live.
Age was also a factor in happiness from surroundings, with older age groups tending to feel more satisfied.