A market town in North Yorkshire set in "some of the region's finest countryside" has been named the happiest place in Britain to live.
Skipton was praised for its access to nature and green spaces, and the friendliness of its residents, along with the quality of its schools. Second place in property website Rightmove’s 14th annual Happy at Home Index is Richmond-upon-Thames in London, for a second year in a row.
Skipton, with a population of 15,000, is known as the southern gateway to the Yorkshire Dales, and grew wealthy as a trading centre for sheep and wool. It tops Rightmove’s list of happiest areas this year, having come second in 2020 and sixth in last year’s study.
Patrick McCutcheon, from Yorkshire estate agent Dacre, Son & Hartley, said: “Skipton has it all. A highly desirable living environment with immediate access to The Dales and a beautiful setting amidst some of the region’s finest countryside, and only a little more than an hour from The Lake District.”
He went on: “Leeds, Bradford, Harrogate and the M65, with its Manchester links, are all easily accessible for both leisure and business. From the town’s station, there are now also regular services to London Kings Cross. The historic castle lights up the colourful high street market whilst the Leeds Liverpool canal, Pennine Way and surrounding moors offer endless opportunities for challenging walks, road and mountain biking and enhance the appeal of this living environment.”
Rightmove says Skipton’s chirpy folk ranked it highly for “feeling they can be themselves” there, as well the area’s affordability. The average asking price for a home in Skipton is £326,093, lower than the current national average of £364,833.
It also has the second lowest price tag within the top 10 happiest areas this year. However, the town was ranked less highly for its access to employment opportunities and desirable jobs, and residents living nearby to friends and family.
Image:
Getty Images)Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert, said: “Each year our study celebrates all the different things that make us feel happy with where we live - our neighbours, green spaces, having access to important services. A lot more goes into choosing an area to live other than the home itself. Being within easy reach of nature and green spaces regularly comes out as an important factor for people, along with having friendly neighbours and feeling you can truly be yourself where you live. It’s great to see the town of Skipton getting the attention it deserves this year having ranked highly in previous studies.”
Second placed and upmarket Richmond is also ranked it highly for its access to nature and essential local services, as well as as restaurants and shops. Third place is Camden, with the North London borough taking one of the top spots for the first time in the 14-year history of the study.
Stirling was ranked the happiest place to live in Scotland by its residents, and Anglesey is this year’s best place to live in Wales.
Looking more broadly, residents in South West England were ranked the happiest with where they live by region, but the East Midlands was the least.
Rightmove said the margins were small, and that overall more people across Britain are happy than unhappy with where they live. Its research also found that those who lived in a rural locations were more likely to say they felt happy, than urban and suburban dwellers. Living near rivers and the sea, or woodland, also featured highly. Another discovered how being happy with where you live tends to increase with age. Residents aged 18 to 24 were the least likely to rate their area highly, while those aged 65 and over the most likely to feel happy where they live.
Top 10
1. Skipton
Average house price - £326,093
Average monthly rent - £1,038
2. Richmond upon Thames
Average house price - £942,522
Average monthly rent - £3,189
3. Camden
Average house price - £1,036,768
Average monthly rent - £3,523
4. Harrogate
Average house price - £394,355
Average monthly rent - £1,535
5. Woodbridge
Average house price - £462,734
Average monthly rent - £1,309
6. Altrincham
Average house price - £643,244
Average monthly rent - £2,968
7. Macclesfield
Average house price - £344,807
Average monthly rent - £1,407
8. Stirling
Average house price - £226,547
Average monthly rent - £1,208
9. Cirencester
Average house price - £472,990
Average monthly rent - £1,975
10. Hexham
Average house price - £331,198
Average monthly rent- £967
Here are the happiest places to live in the East of England according to Rightmove, with the overall ranking in brackets:
1. Woodbridge (5)
2. Leigh-on-Sea (16)
3. Stevenage (24)
4. Clacton-on-Sea (25)
5. St Albans (44)
Here are the happiest places to live in the East Midlands:
1. Chesterfield (82)
2. Loughborough (120)
3. Derby (121)
4. Lincoln (133)
5. Kettering (151)
Here are the happiest places to live in the North East of England:
1. Hexham (10)
2. Newcastle-upon-Tyne (60)
3. Darlington (105)
4. Sunderland (132)
5. Durham (161)
Here are the happiest places to live in the North West of England according to Rightmove, with the overall ranking in brackets:
1. Altrincham (6)
2. Macclesfield (7)
3. Wirral (22)
4. Kendal (30)
5. Chester (39)
Here are the happiest places to live in Scotland:
1. Stirling (8)
2. Kirkcaldy (56)
3. Edinburgh (69)
4. Inverness (75)
5. Perth (80)
Here are the happiest places to live in the South East of England:
1. Maidenhead (14)
2. Horsham (15)
3. Tonbridge (17)
4. Winchester (18)
5. Newbury (29)
Here are the happiest places to live in the South West of England:
1. Cirencester (9)
2. Falmouth (11)
3. Dorchester (21)
4. Weymouth (23)
5. Torquay (36)
Here are the happiest places to live in Wales:
1. Anglesey (19)
2. Monmouth (20)
3. Llandrindod Wells (34)
4. Llandudno (35)
5. Cardiff (103)
Here are the happiest places to live in the West Midlands:
1. Leamington Spa (12)
2. Lichfield (13)
3. Stratford-on-Avon (28)
4. Shrewsbury (32)
5. Tamworth (33)
Here are the happiest places to live in Yorkshire and the Humber:
1. Skipton (1)
2. Harrogate (4)
3. Whitby (27)
4. York (57)
5. Halifax (70)
Here are the happiest places to live in London:
1. Richmond upon Thames (2)
2. Camden (3)
3. Wandsworth (26)
4. Merton (40)
5. Southwark (51)