The 10 happiest places to live in Britain

Words by Smiley Team

If you want to live in the happiest place in Britain, it's time to move to Hexham.

It has quaint cobbled streets, an ancient abbey, and a thriving arts scene – and the market town, based in Northumberland, has held the top spot since 2019 on Rightmove's annual Happy at Home Index.

People who live in Hexham are happiest based on factors including the friendliness of their neighbours, its sense of belonging, the quality of the town’s local amenities, and its access to open space.

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“Last year redefined the importance and role of our home and local community in our lives, and this has carried on into this year, even as wider society has started to open up again,” said Rightmove's property expert Tim Bannister.

Local Mayor Derek Kennedy described Hexham as a “small town with great history”, which also has big ambitions to progress sustainable development. “There is a wonderful community spirit, people are very supportive of one another. There are lots of community interest groups which gets people working for the greater good,” he said.

The second happiest place to live is in London borough of Richmond upon Thames. And the third spot has been taken by the popular spa town of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, while Hove in East Sussex, Brighton’s quieter, calmer seaside neighbour, takes fourth position.

How do they measure happiness at home?

Rightmove's 10 measures which contribute to the overall level of happiness in our home and community cover a broad range of factors, from how you feel about living in an area, to how happy people are with local activities and amenities.

More than 21,000 people contributed to this year’s study. Responses for each of the ten measures are averaged to provide both a category score and an overall score: which becomes their annual ‘Happy at Home Index’.

This year, Rightmove found that the most important factors people look for in a neighbourhood are a sense of belonging, how friendly the locals are, and “being able to be yourself”.