The best places to live in the UK have been revealed and you may be glad to know it’s not just ‘posh’ southern areas that made the cut.
While several parts of the South West feature highly, places in Yorkshire and the North West also got their time to shine.
Coming in at number one is Forest of Dean – a part of Gloucestershire named after the ancient woodland that covers much of the district.
Also making it into the top 10 are North Yorkshire, Cotswold and Stroud (both also in Gloucestershire), Mid Devon, Wiltshire, West Devon, Torridge and Teignbridge (both in Devon), and Ribble Valley in Lancashire.
To create the rankings, we looked at average house prices, the crime rate, average Attainment 8 and Progress 8 scores at state secondary schools, waiting times to receive NHS treatment and GP ratings.
Additionally, we checked access to local amenities including parks and play areas, pubs, community facilities, post offices and railway stations.
1. Forest of Dean
Best known for the historic woodland that gives the area its name, Forest of Dean is an area of diverse nature and rich history. It’s even been used as the location for numerous films and TV shows. But what makes it a great place to live are its stellar NHS services, local amenities and secondary schools, paired with low crime rates and reasonable house prices.
Waiting times for NHS treatment are particularly good in the area – 70% of patients were seen for treatment within 18 weeks after referral as of March 2025, while the average wait was 9.5 weeks. Meanwhile, 82% of patients in the area rated their GP as “good” in 2024. And when it comes to local amenities, the Forest of Dean has an abundance of parks and play areas, community facilities and post offices compared to the size of its population.
As of October 2024, there were 168 parks and play areas, 136 community facilities and 29 post offices per 100,000 residents – some of the highest rates in the country. While not ranking quite so highly for pubs, there are still a respectable 97 for every 100,000 people in Forest of Dean. However, the area is let down somewhat by only 1% of residents living within 15 minutes walk of their nearest railway station.
Meanwhile, state secondary school performance in the area is much better than in other parts of the country. The average Attainment 8 score across Gloucestershire was 50.2 (compared to 45.9 nationally) and the average Progress 8 score was 0.19 (considered to be “above average”) in 2023/24. The crime rate is also quite low, with 50 crimes recorded for every 1,000 people in 2024 – not the lowest in the country, but still far lower than Westminster in London, which has the highest rate at 432 crimes per 1,000 people.
And while house prices in Forest of Dean aren’t the cheapest in England, they’re relatively modest at £297,084 on average. That compares to £435,606 in Cotswold in Gloucestershire, which comes in at number three on our list, but would have otherwise taken the top spot if house prices were’’t taken into account. Some of the towns in Forest of Dean that people looking to move to the area might want to consider include Coleford, Cinderford, Lydney, and Newent.
2. North Yorkshire
Another rural area with stunning countryside and many cultural attractions, North Yorkshire has a lot to offer visitors. Key highlights include the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Parks, vibrant market towns, historic abbeys, and a stunning coastline. However, the main draw for residents is the local amenities, with a high number of pubs compared to the local population in particular – 120 for every 100,000 people.
Access to railways is also much better than in Forest of Dean, with 21% of residents living within 15 minutes walk of their nearest train station. The area also has a rate of 150 parks and play areas, 120 community facilities and 21 post offices per 100,000 people.
North Yorkshire also performs well in terms of NHS services – 64% of patients were seen for treatment within 18 weeks after referral, with an average wait of 11.9 weeks, and 85% of patients rated their GP as “good”.
The crime rate there is also slightly lower than in Forest of Dean, with 49 crimes recorded for every 1,000 people in 2024. And while the secondary schools aren’t quite as good, they’re still better than much of Yorkshire, with an average Attainment 8 score of 46.8 and an average Progress 8 score of 0.06 (again “above average”).
Meanwhile, house prices are even more reasonable in North Yorkshire, at £270,433 on average. Ripon is the only city in North Yorkshire, but some of the main towns include Harrogate, Scarborough, and Whitby.
3. Cotswolds
Again located in Gloucestershire, the Cotswold district is named after the wider region, with 80% of the land located within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. With rolling hills, picturesque villages, and iconic honey-colored stone architecture, it’s another area that blends the best of the great outdoors with an abundance of historical sites.
For residents, the area performs best when it comes to the NHS – 70% of patients were seen for treatment within 18 weeks after referral, with an average wait of 9.5 weeks, and 85% of patients rated their GP as “good”.
It also has some of the highest rates of community facilities and pubs in the country, with 156 and 122 per 100,000 people respectively. There are also 162 parks and play areas and 24 post offices per 100,000 people, but only 6% of residents live within 15 minutes walk of the nearest railway station.
The crime rate in Cotswold is the lowest out of our top three, at just 46 crimes for every 1,000 people last year. And again, schools in the area are a cut above most secondaries in England, with an average Attainment 8 score of 50.2 and an average Progress 8 score of 0.19.
However, what lets the area down are the high house prices, which as already mentioned come in at £435,606 on average. Key towns include Cirencester, Chipping Campden, Fairford, Lechlade, Moreton-in-Marsh, Northleach, Stow-on-the-Wold, and Tetbury.
Looking at other regions in England, West Berkshire is the best place to live in the South East (ranking in 16th place overall), Staffordshire Moorlands in the West Midlands (20th), and Bassetlaw in the East Midlands (24th). East Hertfordshire is the top spot in the East of England (26th overall), while Gateshead is number one in the North East (28th) and Richmond upon Thames is the best in London (64th).
Local authorities in London are consistently let down by high house prices – if these weren’t taken into account, Richmond upon Thames would have ranked at 22nd overall. Each of the categories were given equal weight in our rankings, but the reality is that different people will find some categories more important than others, which is why the map gives the rank for each.
If affordable homes are most important for you, Burnley in Lancashire comes in at number one, with an average house price of just £121,657. Meanwhile, Broadland in Norfolk is the safest place in England, with just 36 crimes recorded for every 1,000 people in the area during the whole of 2024.
And Kingston upon Thames in London has the best state secondary schools, with an average Attainment 8 score of 59.1 and an average Progress 8 score of 0.65 in the 2023/24 academic year.
Finally, Westmorland and Furness in Cumbria takes the top spot for local amenities. As of October 2024, the area had a rate of 136 parks and play areas, 120 pubs, 138 community facilities, and 31 post offices per 100,000 people. At the same time, 33% of residents live within a 15 minute walk of the nearest railway station.
Top 10 best places to live overall:
1. Forest of Dean
2. North Yorkshire
3. Cotswold
4. Stroud
5. Mid Devon
6. Wiltshire
7. West Devon
8. Torridge
9. Teignbridge
10. Ribble Valley