Revealed! The happiest place to live in Great Britain

The borough of Richmond upon Thames in London has been crowned the happiest place to live in Great Britain, according to the latest Happy at Home Index from Rightmove.

It is the first time an area from London has taken the top spot.

Residents of the borough of Richmond, home to locations such as Twickenham, Hampton and Richmond itself, scored it highly for feeling a sense of belonging to the area and being comfortable to be themselves, as well as its access to nature and green spaces, being home to Bushy and Richmond Royal Parks.

Dawn Platt, associate director of Chestertons’ Richmond branch, said: “Richmond really has got it all. Access to nature, schools, entertainment, good eateries, bars and shops. On top of this, the borough benefits from a riverside location and great transport links.

“Thanks to its lifestyle offerings, it’s not difficult to see why Richmond has established itself as one of London’s most sought-after locations nor why residents are happy living here.

“We encounter a lot of house hunters who have always had the goal of living in Richmond one day and once they have moved here, couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. Due to its community feel, many see Richmond as an area to settle down long-term.”

Winchester in Hampshire came second in the list of happiest areas to live. Monmouth in Wales is third, the first time an area from Wales has made the top three since 2018, and Galashiels is the happiest place to live in Scotland for a second consecutive year.

The Happy at Home Index asks residents how they feel about their area based on 13 happiness factors. It was completed this year by over 26,000 people.

The study found that feeling a sense of pride, belonging and community is most likely to contribute to feeling happy to live in an area, more so than having access to things like public transport, schools and job opportunities.

Another key trends to emerge from this year’s study is that those living in rural areas are more likely to be happy where they live than city residents, especially those living near a national park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Those who live in a rural environment, for example in the countryside or villages, were more likely to say they were happy where they live than residents of urban or suburban cities and towns.

Around one in three residents said they ould be happier living in a different area.

This group is most likely to be younger (18-34), currently living in an urban or built-up area, or come from London, the East Midlands or the West Midlands.

When considering where they may be happier living, this group is split between staying in the same region and moving to a completely new part of Great Britain

Of those who think they’d be happier living in a different region, the South West is the most popular choice. However, only a third of those who think they’d be happier living in a different area are planning on moving in the next year.

Respondents were also asked what motivated them to move, with 37% citing finding an area that makes them happier.

Around a quarter wanted to move to a bigger home, were looking for better value for money or a change in lifestyle, while a fifth cited a change in personal circumstances as a reason to move.

Downsizing (11%), reducing energy costs (10%) and taking advantage of remote working to live somewhere new (9%) were other factors.

Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s property expert said: “Searching for new areas outside of the city that are still commutable on office days and looking for cheaper properties that are in need of renovation are just some of the actions we’ve seen determined movers take this year. 

“The results of this year’s study highlight that residents continue to value living near green spaces and natural beauty, features that became all the more important during the pandemic. With moving to an area that makes them happy a key motivator for people looking for their next home, highlighting these types of features nearby could really help sellers looking to appeal to potential buyers."