Leeds named among happiest places to live in UK - ahead of Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham in rankings
Leeds has been named as one of the happiest places to live in the UK in a newly-published report.
The city has been placed at number 70 on the prestigious annual list, which was compiled by online property firm Rightmove and published today (Wednesday).
Woodbridge, a port town near Ipswich in Suffolk, took the crown for the happiest place to reside in Britain.
Meanwhile, the London borough of Richmond upon Thames slipped to second place after topping the list in 2024, while Hexham in Northumberland, another previous winner, was ranked third.
Leeds climbed an impressive 43 places compared to its 2023 ranking of 113th in the UK.
It was ranked higher than Manchester (154th), Liverpool (174th), Birmingham (211th) and Sheffield (75th).
The study, now in its 13th year, was completed by 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 feeI about where they live, their sense of belonging, community spirit, whether they can be themselves, whether they can earn enough to live comfortably in their area, public transport, sports and recreation, green spaces and artistic and cultural activities.
Regional rankings
Regionally, the city has been ranked fifth for the happiest places to live in Yorkshire, according to Rightmove’s 2024 list.
Residents in nearby Harrogate, some 20 miles north of the city, will be celebrating after the leafy North Yorkshire town topped its regional list - and claimed a coveted fifth spot in the national rankings.
It comes as local rivalries have already been intensifying after Leeds United were drawn to face Harrogate Town at Elland Road in the FA Cup third round in January, in a rare competitive fixture between the neighbouring areas.
After Harrogate, Skipton, which was placed at sixth nationally, ranked second in the region.
It was followed by Whitby, on the Yorkshire coast, and York, as Leeds completed the top 5 regional list.
Happiest places in Scotland and Wales
Monmouth was crowned the happiest place to live in Wales, while Stirling came top in Scotland.
Rightmove said its study indicates that, overall, residents in Scotland, Wales and the South West were most happy with where they live, while those in the East and West Midlands were the least happy according to its findings.
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’s 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.
Top 20 happiest places to live in the UK
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
Top rankings across regions
And here are the regional rankings published as part of the study. The regional position is followed by the overall ranking across Britain in brackets:
Yorkshire
1. Harrogate (5)
2. Skipton (6)
3. Whitby (25)
4. York (30)
5. Leeds (70)
East Midlands
1. Chesterfield (63)
2. Nottingham (130)
3. Derby (133)
4. Northampton (142)
5. Lincoln (145)
East of England
1. Woodbridge (1)
2. Leigh on Sea (8)
3. Hitchin (20)
4. St Albans (50)
5. Clacton on Sea (52)
London
1. Richmond upon Thames (2)
2. Kensington and Chelsea (16)
3. Wandsworth (19)
4. Westminster (24)
5. Southwark (46)
North East
1. Hexham (3)
2. Newcastle upon Tyne (59)
3. Darlington (90)
4. Sunderland (143)
5. Durham (150)
North West
1. Kendal (15)
2. Chorley (17)
3. Altrincham (29)
4. Chester (34)
5. Macclesfield (49)
Scotland
1. Stirling (12)
2. Dumfries (35)
3. Perth (39)
4. Galashiels (45)
5. Dundee (47)
South East
1. Sevenoaks (7)
2. Wokingham (10)
3. Winchester (11)
4. Horsham (14)
5. Hove (18)
South West
1. Cirencester (9)
2. St Ives (23)
3. Dorchester (26)
4. Weymouth (33)
5. Cheltenham (43)
Wales
1. Monmouth (4)
2. Llandudno (22)
3. New Quay (28)
4. Llandrindod Wells (38)
5. Anglesey (48)
West Midlands
1. Stratford- upon-Avon (13)
2. Leamington Spa (21)
3. Lichfield (27)
4. Sutton Coldfield (36)
5. Worcester (58)