Warrington’s ranks as Britain’s ‘happiest places to live’ revealed

The study, now in its 13th year, was completed by Rightmove asking more than 35,000 people across Britain, with residents being asked how they feel about their area.

Residents expressed opinions on topics such as how proud they feel about where they live, their sense of belonging, community spirit and whether they can be themselves.

It also takes into account whether they can earn enough to live comfortably in their area, public transport, sports and recreation, green spaces and artistic and cultural activities.

Warrington was ranked the 16th happiest place to live in the north west, and the141st happiest in Britain as a whole.

In the north west rankings, it came below nearby Altrincham, Chester, Stockport and Northwich – but above Wigan, Manchester and Liverpool.

Kendal was ranked number one in the north west, followed by Chorley and Altrincham.

Woodbridge in Suffolk topped the annual list for the first time, with residents scoring it particularly highly for feeling they are able to be themselves, community spirit and friendliness, and access to essential services such as doctors or schools.

The London borough of Richmond upon Thames was placed second, having been top last year, while Hexham in Northumberland, a previous winner, was ranked third.

Rightmove said its study indicates that, overall, residents in Scotland, Wales and the South West are most happy with where they live, while those in the East and West Midlands are the least happy.

The gen-z generation – 18 to 24-year-olds – were the most likely to say that they thought they would be happier living in a different area, while those aged 55-plus were the least likely.

Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s property expert, said: “It is the younger generation who are most likely to say they would be happier living somewhere else, many of whom have to travel to cities for education or to find their first jobs.”

The research also indicated that the type of environment that made residents most happy was a rural location by woodland or a forest, or being near a National Park or National Landscape.

Rightmove’s analysis found that feeling proud to live in an area was the biggest driver of overall satisfaction with a home and community out of the factors it looked at, while living near to family and friends was the smallest driver.

Here are the happiest places to live in 2024, according to Rightmove, followed by the average asking price for a home and the average asking rent per month:

1. Woodbridge, East of England, £441,569, £1,478

2. Richmond upon Thames, London, £939,329, £3,131

3. Hexham, North East, £313,147, £840

4. Monmouth, Wales, £320,974, £1,335

5. Harrogate, Yorkshire and the Humber, £394,312, £1,439

6. Skipton, Yorkshire and the Humber, £263,479, £1,030

7. Sevenoaks, South East, £881,061, £2,924

8. Leigh on Sea, East of England, £465,542, £1,796

9. Cirencester, South West, £384,013, £1,495

10. Wokingham, South East, £590,949, £2,120

11. Winchester, South East, £578,760, £2,069

12. Stirling, Scotland, £214,441, £1,227

13. Stratford-upon- Avon, West Midlands, £413,115, £1,604

14. Horsham, South East, £458,641, £1,983

15. Kendal, North West, £285,645, £966

16. Kensington and Chelsea, London, £1,667,573, £5,345

17. Chorley, North West, £197,199, £883

18. Hove, South East, £555,193, £1,993

19. Wandsworth, London, £865,205, £3,159

20. Hitchin, East of England, £510,612, £1,730

And here are the top five north west rankings in the study, with the regional position followed by the overall ranking across Britain in brackets:

1. Kendal (15)

2. Chorley (17)

3. Altrincham (29)

4. Chester (34)

5. Macclesfield (49)