For some lucky locals, the season to be jolly is a year-round event. And for the 13th year running, Rightmove have unveiled their annual “Happy At Home” index, uncovering where exactly in the country has the most cheerful residents.
You may remember that last year saw a London borough nab the crown for the very first time (I mean, I’d be feeling rather pleased with myself too if I’d managed to bag myself a gaff in Richmond). But this year, Richmond upon Thames was marginally pipped to the post by a charming town on the Suffolk coast, Woodbridge.
Rightmove were pretty thorough with their research, surveying over 35,000 people to find out the things they love (and the things they’re not quite so fond of) about where they live. Basing their research on 15 key happiness factors, Rightmove has managed to uncover some of the magic ingredients that create the delicious recipe for happiness at home.
The research revealed that the top factors contributing towards hometown happiness in the UK were having a welcoming community where residents feel like they can be themselves, proximity to nature, and access to more practical things like schools, doctors and shops. The historic town of Woodbridge topped the charts with its sense of community, friendly vibe and access to essential services.
With its free roaming deer, abundance of green space, and impressive roster of celeb residents; the leafy London Borough of Richmond upon Thames still managed to nab the second place spot, maintaining at least some of its bragging rights. The only other London borough to make the top 20 happy places was Wandsworth (can confirm; a delightful place to live).
Rightmove property expert, Tim Bannister, said: “For over a decade we’ve been asking residents what makes them feel happy about where they live, as feeling happy is about more than the home itself. First placed Woodbridge appears to have a lot of the factors that people are looking for from an area, including being close to a river, and a National Landscape. It’s the intangible factors of feeling proud to live in an area, feeling a sense of belonging, and feeling able to be yourself that are the biggest drivers of happiness.”
The happiest places to live in the UK
- Woodbridge, Suffolk
- Richmond upon Thames, Greater London
- Hexham, Northumberland
- Monmouth, Wales
- Harrogate, North Yorkshire
- Skipton, North Yorkshire
- Sevenoaks, Kent
- Leigh on Sea, Essex
- Cirencester, Gloucestershire
- Wokingham, Berkshire
Find out more information from Rightmove’s survey here.