Top 10 happiest place to live in England revealed - did your town make the list?

1 March 2024, 22:43 | Updated: 5 March 2024, 16:14

A new survey has revealed the top 10 happiest places to live in England.

Coming out top in the list is the Ribble Valley in Lancashire, with 225 square miles of beautiful scenery, the town ranked highest in the combined scores.

From the River Ribble to the Bowland Fells, the area is officially a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Ribble Valley was ranked highest in a study of happiness levels across England’s 296 local government districts.

The survey took data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which factored in crime rates, green spaces, waterways, smoking habits, unemployment levels, drug use and earnings.

Across all 296 districts, the average was 52 out of 100, whereas Ribble Valley scored an impressive 79.

Rita Barnes, 36, who lives in Clitheroe, a town in the same borough, said she fell “in love” with the area after only a few years, she told Go Smoke Free who conducted the survey.

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She said: “I’ve only lived here for four years and I’ve fallen in love with it completely.

“It has amazing green spaces and everyone’s so friendly. I’ve yet to meet anyone I haven’t liked.

"It just feels like home from the moment you arrive.”

Full list of happiest places to live in England

1. Ribble Valley - 79

2. Wokingam - 72

3. Mole Valley - 71

4. West Berkshire - 70

4. Bracknell Forest - 70

6. South Gloucestershire - 69

7. Guildford - 68

7. Waverley - 68

9. Three Rivers - 67

9. Surrey Heath - 67