The UK’s Happiest Places To Live – Top 70 Locations in 2024 30th Oct 2024 Posted by Alice Ewens on 30th Oct 2024 Facebook Instagram Pinterest Linkedin We've polled 5,000 people to find out where the top 70 happiest places to live in the UK are in 2024! As homes and furniture experts, it's important to us to understand what the public thinks and feels about what actually makes a home more than a house. We know it's not just about a roof and walls. A sense of home is as much about the community and space around you as the structure you live in. We also know it's not about the price tag (as Jessie J said). 'Happiness' is a huge factor in creating that sense of home, alongside a sense of belonging, safety and security. So, we thought it'd be interesting to dig into how the UK public rates their villages, towns and cities. What We Did And Why We surveyed 5,000 by setting up panels across the UK to find the happiest location for each county and big city. Locations were ranked according to: the beauty of the surroundings and green spaces (because access to nature and pleasing aesthetics is a key part of happiness and well-being1); provision of good state schools (because having access to good education is another key element of well-being2) provision of affordable housing (because everyone deserves a home, and inclusive and diverse areas are integral to thriving communities3) access to quality pubs, restaurants, independent shops and cultural attractions (because having places to gather and socialise beyond work and homes - the 'Third Place Spaces' - are an important part of establishing a sense of place4) The UK's Happiest Places - Results Statford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. Credit: Canva Pro Stratford-upon-Avon, the medieval town that was the birthplace of William Shakespeare - topped the survey list as the happiest place to live in the UK. We all know about the Royal Shakespeare Company but Stratford is so much more than a cultural attraction. It is a thriving community flanked by the beautiful river Avon. It has independent shops, and fantastic places to eat and drink. It's also home to some of the best state schools in the country. Second place goes to Harrogate, a spa town known for its historic buildings, gardens, natural springs and food. The The Fat Badger and the Harrogate Tap pubs are renowned. Harrogate Grammar, Oatlands Infants and Western Primary are all rated as 'Outstanding' by Ofsted. Seaside town Whitley Bay came in third on the list. It's known for its long stretch of sand with picturesque promenade and cool cultural vibe including the Whitley Bay Playhouse. Whitley Bay High School and Coquet Park First School are both also rated as 'Outstanding' schools. Harrowgate, North Yorkshire. Credit: Canva Pro Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear. Credit: Canva Pro The Full Results Our Thoughts On The Results It was nice to conduct this sort of survey as it really helps us understand how the public views community and sense of space when creating their homes. All 70 places on the list would have been worthy winners and show why the UK is such a wonderful place to live, loved by visitors from all over the world. Most of the locations in the top 70 are not the most affluent in their localities and have access to some affordable housing including Stratford which has a high proportion of social housing lettings. The survey shows that the happiest places are not defined by wealth but by the quality of life within them. About The Author https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5f202e0de90e071a5a924316/Improving_access_to_greenspace_2020_review.pdf ↩︎https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/blog/the-big-ambition-for-education-reflections-from-my-ambassadors/ ↩︎https://england.shelter.org.uk/support_us/campaigns/value_of_social_housing ↩︎https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_place ↩︎ What Next? We love seeing how our customers style their Furniturebox products so be sure to give us a follow on Insta and tag us in your product pics. We've also got links to lots of useful info there. And we've also got heaps more inspiration over on Pinterest so give us a follow there, too.
