Where are the happiest places to live in the UK?

To feel truly happy in your home, it takes more than just a beautiful house. According to Rightmove’s most recent Happy at Home survey, the secret to loving where you live is having a sense of belonging to your local area, along with feeling part of a friendly community.

Now in its 11^th year, the Rightmove survey reveals the happiest area to live in the UK, and the qualities that make a place feel like home. The results of the survey, published in December 2022, indicated that while the nearby amenities are important, it is the personal aspects of a location that are really valued by its residents.

What makes a place feel like home

Over 21,000 people responded to the survey, to score their local areas on things like community spirit, the artistic and cultural activities on offer, and the availability of nature and public green spaces. Of all the happiness measures to choose from, it was a sense of belonging that came out on top, followed by a strong sense of community, and warm and friendly residents. And indeed, it is our local communities that have supported so many of us through difficult times in recent years.

Currently holding the title for the UK’s happiest place to live is the beautiful coastal town of St Ives in Cornwall, and not for the first time; since 2019, the top spot has alternated between St Ives, and the historic market town of Hexham in Northumberland. The residents of St Ives scored their town highly for its community spirit, and how they felt like they belonged there and were comfortable to be themselves.

In second place is Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, with Woodbridge in Suffolk in third. Also among the top ten happiest places to live are Bury St Edmunds, also in Suffolk; Harrogate in Yorkshire; the Welsh island of Anglesey; and Perth and Stirling in Scotland. For your opportunity to live in a brand-new home in one of the UK’s happiest locations, take a look at Bellway’s Bronze Fields development in Bury St Edmunds, or Ridgewood on the edge of Stirling city centre.

Be a part of a brand new community

When you choose a new build home, you become part of a neighbourhood right from its very beginning. It’s so exciting to see a vibrant new community growing around you, as your neighbours move in and you all begin to add your individual personalities to the blank canvases of your homes, and friendships form across the streets and over the garden fences.

And there are so many other great reasons to consider a new build. Having no upward chain makes the house buying process more straightforward, and after you’ve moved in to your new, energy-efficient home, you won’t need to make any expensive renovations or upgrades, and can look forward to saving over £3,100 per year on your energy bills* - equating to £260 less a month, and 63% cheaper than the bills in a typical existing home. All of which will help you to feel much happier in your home, wherever you choose to live.

*Figure based on HBF 2023 'Watt a Save' report.