Do you live in one of the 50 best places to live in Britain in 2020?

A corner of the Home Counties that’s packed with popular market towns has been named as the best place to live in Britain for 2020. 

Commuter belt favourite East Hertfordshire includes market towns such as Bishop’s Stortford and Hertford, and was given the title after scoring well on several factors.

These include strong exam results, high life expectancy, excellent health and happiness scores and high average earnings.

The annual Halifax quality of life survey considered a number of factors, such as health

East Hertfordshire - which includes market towns such as Hertford - is the best place to live

East Hertfordshire – which includes market towns such as Hertford – is the best place to live

It was followed by Fareham, Hart and Horsham – all in the South – in the annual Halifax quality of life survey. 

The South East and the East of England both feature four times within the top 10, while the North also makes the line-up due to Selby and Hambleton, which are ranked sixth and seventh respectively.

Sarah Broughton, of buying agent Prime Purchase, said: ‘It’s not surprising that East Hertfordshire tops the chart as the best place to live. 

‘The countryside is unspoilt with attractive villages, good footpaths and some excellent pubs. 

‘There are good schools and easy accessibility to London if that’s what you need, but yet it is still rural.

‘The market town of Bishop’s Stortford, in particular, is attractive and vibrant, and the easy commute to London make it a great place for families to live.’

THE 50 BEST PLACES TO LIVE IN BRITAIN
Local Authority Region 2020 Rank
East Hertfordshire East of England 1
Fareham South East 2
Hart South East 3
Horsham South East 4
Maldon East of England 5
Selby Yorkshire and The Humber 6
Hambleton Yorkshire and The Humber 7
Babergh East of England 8
St Edmundsbury East of England 9
Wokingham South East 10
Ryedale Yorkshire and The Humber 11
South Derbyshire East Midlands 12
South Cambridgeshire East of England 13
Tonbridge and Malling South East 14
Rugby West Midlands 15
Runnymede South East 16
Wychavon West Midlands 17
Orkney Islands Scotland 18
Woking South East 19
Warwick West Midlands 20
South Oxfordshire South East 21
Rushcliffe East Midlands 22
Huntingdonshire East of England 23
Newark and Sherwood East Midlands 24
Rushmoor South East 25
Forest Heath East of England 26
Elmbridge South East 27
Wiltshire South West 28
Gedling East Midlands 29
North Dorset South West 30
Rutland East Midlands 31
Tewkesbury South West 32
Rochford East of England 33
Winchester South East 34
Bracknell Forest South East 35
Cherwell South East 36
Central Bedfordshire East of England 37
Charnwood East Midlands 38
Forest of Dean South West 39
Vale of White Horse South East 40
West Berkshire South East 41
New Forest South East 42
North Warwickshire West Midlands 43
Guildford South East 44
Swindon South West 45
Lichfield West Midlands 46
Suffolk Coastal East of England 47
York Yorkshire and The Humber 48
Basingstoke and Deane South East 49
Erewash East Midlands 50
Source: Halifax     
East Hertfordshire also includes the market town of Bishop's Stortford

East Hertfordshire also includes the market town of Bishop’s Stortford

Russell Galley, from Halifax, adds: ‘With bustling market towns and picturesque countryside, East Hertfordshire has topped the table thanks to high life expectancy, good schools and health and happiness scores, with high average earnings.

‘Everyone has different priorities when it comes to choosing a place to live, depending on time of life, and personal circumstances. 

‘Affordability will always be one of the most important factors, with getting a foot on the property ladder still difficult for some people.’

WHY EAST HERTFORDSHIRE?

What makes East Hertfordshire such a good place to live, according to the survey?

• Residents feel fit and well with 97 per cent reporting good or fairly good health.

• East Hertfordshire has the 12th highest weekly earnings of any local authority across England, Scotland and Wales.

• The latest ONS figures indicate adults living in East Hertfordshire are among the most happy and content in Britain, with high life expectancies.

• Schools in the area also achieve excellent exam results, with 73.3% achieving grade 9-4 in English and maths.

Hambleton in North Yorkshire is among the best places to live, ranked in seventh place

Hambleton in North Yorkshire is among the best places to live, ranked in seventh place

LOCAL AUTHORITY WITH BEST QUALITY OF LIFE IN EACH REGION 
Local Authority Region
South Derbyshire East Midlands
Richmond upon Thames London
Darlington North East
Eden North West
Lisburn and Castlereagh Northern Ireland
Orkney Islands Scotland
Fareham South East
Wiltshire South West
The Vale of Glamorgan Wales
Rugby West Midlands
Selby Yorkshire and The Humber
Source: Halifax   
Only two London areas make the top 100 - including Richmond-upon-Thames

Only two London areas make the top 100 – including Richmond-upon-Thames

The South East is the highest ranking region, with 18 local authorities securing spots in the top 50 best places to live.

These include Wokingham in tenth position, Winchester at 34 and the New Forest at 42.

The East of England comes second which, alongside the overall winner, boasts another nine entries in the top 50. 

These include St Edmundsbury in ninth position, Rochford at 33 and Central Bedfordshire at 37.

In third place is the East Midlands, featuring seven times, including South Derbyshire at 12, Rutland at 31 and Charnwood at 38.

Selby in sixth place and Hambleton in seventh place, along with Ryedale at number 11 and York at 48 – all in Yorkshire and Humberside – are the only places in the North of England to make the top 50.

The Scottish Orkney Islands are the only locality north of the border to feature and no London local authorities appear in the top 50.

Only two London areas make the top 100. They are Richmond-upon-Thames at 64 and Kensington and Chelsea at 79. Wales’ highest placing was the Vale of Glamorgan at 126.

Selbyin North Yorkshire is among the best places to live, ranked in sixth place

Selbyin North Yorkshire is among the best places to live, ranked in sixth place

Wales' highest placing was the Vale of Glamorgan, ranked 126 in the Halifax survey

Wales’ highest placing was the Vale of Glamorgan, ranked 126 in the Halifax survey

Factors relating to wellbeing played a significant role in securing the top three places for East Hertfordshire, Fareham, and Hart – with high scores on general health and happiness.

East Hertfordshire and Hart score well on life expectancy, where males can expect to live an average of 82.5 years, three years above the national average and females to 85, which is two years above the national average.

Those living in Hart and Fareham score highly for life satisfaction – 8.2 out of 10 on average, compared to 7.8 for Britain.

Employment levels are also significantly higher – 87.2 per cent in Hart and 82.2 per cent in Fareham, compared to 75 per cent for the rest of the country.

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