The happiest place to live in the UK is...

Hexham regains crown of happiest place to live in Great Britain

The Northumberland market town of Hexham has topped Rightmove’s annual Happy at Home Index for 2021, regaining the top spot which it last held back in 2019

Richmond in London rises up the ranks to take second place nationally this year, as well as being the happiest place to live in London for the seventh year running, while Harrogate takes the third spot.  Stirling takes the crown of happiest place in Scotland and Llandrindod Wells is once again the happiest place to live in Wales.

The tenth year of the study found:

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• Those living in coastal villages were the happiest group of people in the study
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• More than two thirds of people who moved within the last 12 months moved to a different area, and this group were happier than those who did not move home
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• Feeling a sense of belonging and being able to be yourself in your area were the most important factors for people to be happy where they live
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• Community spirit was even more important to people’s happiness this year

Rightmove’s annual Happy at Home Index reveals that Hexham in Northumberland has once again been crowned the happiest place to live in Great Britain.

This year’s index found that residents of the market town were happier than any other area with the sense of community spirit and feeling of belonging in the area. A sense of belonging was the most important factor for overall happiness.

Hexham takes back the top spot having last been crowned the happiest place to live in 2019 – and is also popular with residents for its access to nature and green spaces, and how friendly and polite people are.

The average asking price for a home in Hexham is £297,088, an increase of 6% compared to last year (£280,128) and an increase of 20% compared to five years ago (£246,919). This is lower than the current national average of £342,401.

The Happy at Home Index, in its tenth year, was conducted among over 21,000 people across Great Britain, and asks residents how they feel about where they live, as well as asking them to rank ten happiness factors.

Richmond upon Thames came second overall in this year’s study, marking a rise up the national rankings, as well as being the happiest place in London for the seventh year running.

Stirling is this year’s happiest place in Scotland, while Llandrindod Wells, fifth place overall, is the happiest place to live in Wales.

Community is key

This year’s study found a sense of belonging, the friendliness of the locals, and being able to be yourself were the most important factors in feeling happy in the area in which you live.

It shows how important having a sense of community is to overall happiness. A third (seven) of this year’s top 20 happiest towns were market towns, typically being smaller towns with weekly markets bringing the local community together.

This importance of connection carries over into this year’s study following the lockdown periods, and builds on the findings from last year, where people felt they had reconnected to their area and local community.

From city to coast

The importance of togetherness can also be seen in the types of settlements that made people most happy. Those in villages were more likely to be happy in their area than those in towns or cities, as they were more likely to feel the sense of community in their area, and have access to nature and green spaces.

Those living in a coastal village were the happiest of all, and those living in a coastal town or city were more likely to be happy in their area than someone living in a similar home inland.

Get moving, get happy

The record-breaking housing market over the past year means that Rightmove predicts by the end of the year 1.5 million transactions will have taken place. The results of this year’s study show that those who have made a move are happier in their area than those who haven’t, regardless of where they have moved to.

More than two-thirds (69%) of people who moved in the last year, chose to move to a different area. Nearly two-thirds of these people (64%), said they are happier in the area they now live, compared with where they moved from. One in five (21%) said they were just as happy in their new area.

Being happier in a new area was highest amongst those who moved from a town to a village, with 81% saying they were happier where they now live, and 11% were just as happy as where they lived before.

Interestingly, the study showed people were more likely to stay in the same type of settlement, or make a ‘single stage’ move in the search for happiness.

Those that lived in a city, were more likely to move to a town than a village, while those who lived in a town, were more likely to move to a village than a city. Those who lived in a village were more likely to move to a town than a city.

Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s Director of Property Data comments: “It’s been an incredibly busy year in the housing market, with a lot of people deciding that now is the right time to move. 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.”

Local Views

Mayor of Hexham Derek Kennedy said: “Hexham is thrilled to be awarded the happiest place to live in Great Britain. We are a small town with great history, Hexham Abbey and other historical buildings and our Market Place is 800 years old. There is a wonderful community spirit, people are very supportive of one another. There are lots of community interest groups which gets people working for the greater good. Excellent schools ensure good educational standards. Lots of organised sports including a weekly Park run, cricket, tennis, squash, golf and rowing and other water sports on the mighty River Tyne. The open countryside is wonderful with Hadrian’s Wall on our doorstep. 

“The Town Council recently introduced a free live music twice a week into our glorious Bandstand drawling, around 200 people to every session. Our events such as Spook night, Remembrance Day, Farmers Market and Christmas Market draw lots of people from across the region to the town. We have big ambitions to progress our sustainable development and we work with interested groups to enhance the town. We all know how great it is to live in Hexham but to win this accolade is fantastic, thank you.” 

Ailsa Mather, Director at Andrew Coulson in Hexham, said: “Hexham is a historic town in the heart of Northumberland, with easy access to Newcastle, Metro Centre and Carlisle, excellent transport links by rail and road, and lots of historic buildings including Hexham Abbey in the centre of the marketplace.

“We enjoy lots of green open spaces, including the Sele Park and Tyne Green on the banks of the River Tyne. We are lucky to have an abundance of lovely independent restaurants, bars and cafes, and a weekly market which is about to celebrate its 800th year anniversary.

“The last 12 months in the market have been phenomenal. People have re-evaluated what they want out of their lives, moving closer to family and moving from the city to the countryside. Over 38% of our sales in the last 12 months have been from people south of Birmingham, as more people now have the opportunity to work from home, and don’t need to be in the city five days a week.”

Daryll Digpal, Managing Director at Beadnall Copley in Harrogate said: “The Harrogate market has been incredibly busy with property prices across both lettings and sales markets soaring due to unprecedented demand fuelled by lockdowns and the Chancellor’s Stamp Duty holiday. The town boasts a thriving high street with many international retail brands, a booming hospitality industry and excellent state and private schools. Furthermore, at its heart is the infamous Stray owned by the Duchy of Lancaster, a never more enjoyed haven, particularly over the past 18 months. As such is it no surprise that this attractive Spa Town is one of the country’s happiest places to live.”

Great Britain’s Happiest Places 2021
Rank	Place	Region	Average Asking Price	Average Asking Rent (PCM)
1	Hexham	North East	£297,088	£842
2	Richmond upon Thames	Greater London	£1,196,892	£3,235
3	Harrogate	Yorkshire and the Humber	£353,624	£1,163
4	Hove	South East	£525,906	£1,879
5	Llandrindod Wells	Wales	£193,601	£445
6	Stirling	Scotland	£191,226	£877
7	Monmouth	Wales	£312,649	£929
8	St Ives	South West	£494,393	£1,150
9	Anglesey	Wales	£278,391	£776
10	Leamington Spa	West Midlands	£350,981	£1,203
11	Perth	Scotland	£167,160	£679
12	Hitchin	East of England	£491,223	£1,392
13	Woodbridge	East of England	£427,542	£1,129
14	Kendal	North West	£258,961	£837
15	Macclesfield	North West	£277,772	£981
16	Exeter	South West	£303,215	£1,234
17	Salisbury	South West	£318,806	£1,090
18	Horsham	South East	£433,892	£1,433
19	St. Albans	East of England	£632,320	£1,888
20	Guildford	South East	£542,947	£1,913

 

The Index  

The ten measures which contribute to the overall level of happiness we feel in our home and community cover a broad range of factors, from how you feel about living in the area to how happy people are with local activities and amenities. Responses for each of the ten measures are averaged to provide both a category score and an overall score: the ‘Happy at Home Index’.

Happiness Measures
I feel a sense of belonging	1
Generally, the people are friendly and polite	2
I can be myself	3
Nature and green spaces	4
There’s a real sense of community spirit	5
Artistic and cultural activities	6
Opportunities to develop skills	7
Non-essential amenities e.g. restaurants, shops	8
Essential local services e.g. doctors, schools	9
Sports and recreational activities	10

 

Regional rankings

East Midlands:

Place	Regional rank	National Rank
Chesterfield	1	68
Loughborough	2	73
Nottingham	3	116
Kettering	4	121
Derby	5	140
Lincoln	6	145
Leicester	7	146
Northampton	8	159
Mansfield	9	168

 

East of England:

Place	Regional rank	National Rank
Hitchin	1	12
Woodbridge	2	13
St. Albans	3	19
Leigh on Sea	4	35
Bury St Edmunds	5	39
Chelmsford	6	53
Huntingdon	7	56
Norwich	8	57
Cambridge	9	70
Watford	10	72
Colchester	11	77
Bishop’s Stortford	12	101
Ely	13	106
Hertford	14	110
Ipswich	15	139
Peterborough	16	154
Bedford	17	157
Stevenage	18	173
Southend on Sea	19	190
Luton	20	191
Clacton on Sea	21	192
Basildon	22	208

 

London:

Place	Regional rank	National Rank
Richmond upon Thames	1	2
Bromley	2	21
Kingston upon Thames	3	54
Wandsworth	4	60
Kensington and Chelsea	5	78
Camden	6	93
Lewisham	7	97
Haringey	8	102
Barnet	9	104
Westminster	10	112
Waltham Forest	11	114
Islington	12	115
Ealing	13	119
Hackney	14	120
Greenwich	15	126
Merton	16	131
Southwark	17	143
Lambeth	18	153
Hammersmith and Fulham	19	155
Tower Hamlets	20	164
Redbridge	21	166
Enfield	22	169
Havering	23	175
Harrow	24	177
Hounslow	25	180
Sutton	26	184
Croydon	27	185
Bexley	28	188
Hillingdon	29	198
Newham	30	207
Brent	31	209
Barking and Dagenham	32	210

 

North East:

Place	Regional rank	National Rank
Hexham	1	1
Newcastle upon Tyne	2	85
Durham	3	91
Cleveland	4	108
Sunderland	5	161
Darlington	6	163
Gateshead	7	199
Middlesbrough	8	205

 

 

 

 

North West:

Place	Regional rank	National Rank
Kendal	1	14
Macclesfield	2	15
Southport	3	37
Chester	4	38
Carlisle	5	45
Stockport	6	59
Lancaster	7	61
Chorley	8	63
Northwich	9	67
Bury	10	84
Altrincham	11	86
Warrington	12	113
Wirral	13	125
Preston	14	128
Blackpool	15	133
Crewe	16	144
Liverpool	17	147
Manchester	18	150
Blackburn	19	151
Burnley	20	152
Rochdale	21	174
Wigan	22	178
Oldham	23	182
Salford	24	189
Bolton	25	201

 

Scotland:

Place	Regional rank	National Rank
Stirling	1	6
Perth	2	11
Inverness	3	51
Edinburgh	4	76
Dundee	5	80
Ayr	6	94
Glasgow	7	98
Kirkcaldy	8	141
Paisley	9	149
Aberdeen	10	156
Falkirk	11	162
Kilmarnock	12	194
Motherwell	13	204

 

South East:

Place	Regional rank	National Rank
Hove	1	4
Horsham	2	18
Guildford	3	20
Chichester	4	28
Fleet	5	32
Winchester	6	34
Isle of Wight	7	44
Brighton	8	47
Maidenhead	9	49
Tunbridge Wells	10	50
Aylesbury	11	64
Bracknell	12	69
Windsor	13	71
Fareham	14	75
Canterbury	15	87
Wokingham	16	88
High Wycombe	17	89
Basingstoke	18	90
Oxford	19	95
Eastbourne	20	103
Redhill	21	105
Worthing	22	107
Folkestone	23	111
Milton Keynes	24	117
Newbury	25	118
Southampton	26	127
Hastings	27	129
Woking	28	130
Reading	29	135
Portsmouth	30	138
Farnham	31	142
Sevenoaks	32	160
Crawley	33	165
Ashford	34	176
Rochester	35	181
Slough	36	193
Dartford	37	196
Maidstone	38	197

 

South West:

Place	Regional rank	National Rank
St Ives	1	8
Exeter	2	16
Salisbury	3	17
Falmouth	4	23
Plymouth	5	25
Barnstaple	6	26
Truro	7	29
Cheltenham	8	30
Dorchester	9	33
Torquay	10	40
Cirencester	11	42
Bristol	12	43
Poole	13	48
Bath	14	52
Bournemouth	15	74
Weymouth	16	81
Yeovil	17	92
Taunton	18	109
Swindon	19	124
Gloucester	20	132
Weston Super Mare	21	148

 

Wales:

Place	Regional rank	National Rank
Llandrindod Wells	1	5
Monmouth	2	7
Anglesey	3	9
Llandudno	4	58
Bridgend	5	62
Cardiff	6	82
Wrexham	7	99
Swansea	8	122
Newport	9	203
Caerphilly	10	206

 

West Midlands:

Place	Regional rank	National Rank
Leamington Spa	1	10
Stratford on Avon	2	22
Hereford	3	24
Stafford	4	31
Worcester	5	41
Lichfield	6	65
Solihull	7	79
Stourbridge	8	83
Shrewsbury	9	96
Stoke on Trent	10	123
Sutton Coldfield	11	167
Telford	12	171
Walsall	13	172
Birmingham	14	179
Coventry	15	187
Dudley	16	200
Wolverhampton	17	202

 

Yorkshire and the Humber:

Place	Regional rank	National Rank
Harrogate	1	3
Skipton	2	27
York	3	36
Sheffield	4	46
Huddersfield	5	55
Whitby	6	66
Halifax	7	100
Hull	8	134
Grimsby	9	136
Leeds	10	137
Barnsley	11	158
Bradford	12	170
Rotherham	13	183
Doncaster	14	186
Wakefield	15	195

 

21,731 people responded to Rightmove’s 2021 Happy at Home Index survey.