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The best place to live in the UK revealed

Simon Ward
by Lovemoney Staff Simon Ward on 24 December 2011  |  Comments 6 comments

Halifax crunches the numbers for its annual Quality of Life survey.

The best place to live in the UK revealed

The district of Hart in Hampshire is the best place to live in the UK, according to this year’s Halifax Quality of Life survey.

The bank ranked local authority districts based on factors including residents' health and life expectancy, employment, earnings, crime rate, weather, traffic flow and broadband internet access.

 

Here are the top ten places in the UK:

Hart, Hampshire

Elmbridge, Surrey

Wokingham, Berkshire

East Cambridgeshire

Brentwood, Essex

Wychavon, Worcestershire

St Albans, Hertfordshire

Maidstone, Kent

South Cambridgeshire

Epsom and Ewell, Surrey

Elmbridge had held the top spot for the past three years. Hart residents enjoy weekly average earnings of £841, 40% above the UK average of £606. But average house prices are 6.3 times average annual local earnings, compared to the UK average of 5.25.

The top 50 places list is dominated by areas in southern England, with 27 in the south east and 15 in the east.

But there’s a north-south divide in several categories. The south scores highly for weekly earnings, health, life expectancy and weather. Whereas the north is strong on low house price to earnings ratios, low population densities and low traffic flow.

Top places in each region

Region

Local authority district

Quality of Life ranking

South East England

Hart

1

South West England

Tewkesbury

72

London

Richmond-upon-Thames

11

East of England

East Cambridgeshire

4

East Midlands

Rushcliffe

16

West Midlands

Wychavon

6

Yorkshire and the Humber

Selby

68

North West England

Warrington

122

North East England

Northumberland

162

Scotland

Shetland Islands

98

Wales

Monmouthshire

234

Northern Ireland

North Down

275

Halifax says there are now only 26 areas across the UK where the average house price to earnings ratio is lower than the UK long-term average of four times salary.

Pendle in Lancashire has the lowest ratio at 3.5 times, with North Ayrshire and Blaenau Gwent at 3.6.

More: Number of people renting set to increase | Most affordable mortgages in eight years

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Comments (6)

  • OorWullie
    Love rating 27
    OorWullie said

    I resided at Perth, Scotland, for a number of years when it was then assessed as being the best place to live; I wonder how it managed to fall from grace since? Currently I reside in Kirriemuir, Angus, (the place where Sir James Barrie, author of Peter Pan was born) and situated at the southeastern corner and foot of the Grampian mountains. It is a semi-rural area, very parochial, and very lovely. Okay, it lacks the amenities of London and the Home Counties but one can still get dinner and dance in a 4* Hilton Hotel situated alongside the river Tay in beautiful surroundings for £25.00; surely this must count?

    PS Car parking is free in this locality!

    Report on 26 December 2011  |  Love thisLove  0 loves
  • CuNNaXXa
    Love rating 199
    CuNNaXXa said

    I live in the Fens (Lincolnshire part), and find life very relaxing. After spending forty five years of my life living in the heart of the south coast (between Portsmouth and Southampton), and watching as our local councils find any excuse to build on every single blade of grass they could find, I needed to find somewhere where the pace of life was slower and the fresh air was really fresh.

    I have spent the last two years living in the Fens, and absolutely enjoy it. I work for an employer who expects us to work hard but fairly. There are no stupid training modules we have to sign for picking up cups and pens, and we get respect for being human.

    When I worked down south, my employer constantly expected us to work harder and harder, and to compete with the Polish workers we worked alongside, even though some of them were taking amphetamines to boost their work rate, which we reported to deaf ears (management turned a blind eye to the drugs taking as long as the work got done. Their duty of care was non-existent).

    So, for me, the move was beneficial, and I would not even entertain going back to where I was born. I am far more happy in my new home, in amongst arable farmland where development cannot go ahead regardless of how big the bribes are.

    Report on 27 December 2011  |  Love thisLove  0 loves

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