A Greater Manchester town has been named among the 20 happiest places to live in the UK, alongside a couple of other North West spots. Altrincham was placed in the top 20 of Britain’s happiest places to live in an annual survey, coming in at number 17 in Rightmove’s survey. St Ives, a seaside town in Cornwall, took the number one spot, while Galashiels in Scotland came in a respectable second.
Anthony O’Neil / Geograph
Other North West areas in the top 20 were Northwich (16) and Macclesfield (18). Rightmove’s Happy at Home Index asked more than 21,000 people their thoughts on where they live. Each area is ranked on factors like whether people feel there is a sense of belonging, local amenities, whether there is a community spirit and the proximity to green spaces.
Anthony O’Neil / Geograph
According to Rightmove, these are Britain’s happiest places to live in 2022 (including the average house price and average asking monthly rental price):
1) St Ives, South West – £523,731, £1,152
2) Galashiels, Scotland – £153,546, £530
3) Woodbridge, East of England – £481,978, £1,196
4) Hexham, North East – £262,265, £810
5) Perth, Scotland – £179,410, £812
6) Harrogate, Yorkshire and the Humber – £381,124, £1,327
7) Anglesey, Wales – £324,048, £766
8) Bury St Edmunds, East of England – £334,160, £1,368
9) Stirling, Scotland – £197,075, £990
10) Cirencester, South West, £382,065 – £1,331
11) Richmond-upon-Thames, London – £1,153,347, £3,931
12) Falmouth, South West – £373,752, £1,289
13) Monmouth, Wales – £331,844, £1,104
14) Leamington Spa, West Midlands – £383,553, £1,274