How happy is YOUR town? Interactive heat map shows life satisfaction ratings

Rushmoore in Hampshire is the happiest town in the UK, a new survey of life satisfaction in Britain reveals today.

The Office for National Statistics has upgraded its regular survey of well being to take account of health, access to services and crime levels. 

Overall, Britons rated their life satisfaction at 7.7 out of 10 and happiness at 7.5 out of 10. Anxiety is scored at 2.9 out of 10.

Rushmoor was the happiest place with residents saying they felt 8.35 out of 10 – a sharp contrast to Fenland in in Cambridgeshire which scored just 6.7.

Scores for each area of Britain can be explored on an interactive map produced by the ONS to help people explore the data and see how their home patch compares.   

At a country level, average ratings of feeling the things done in life are worthwhile have improved in Scotland from 7.81 in the year ending March 2017 to 7.88 in the year ending March 2018. 

Northern Ireland reported the highest average life satisfaction, worthwhile and happiness ratings, and the lowest anxiety ratings, when compared with the UK and the other constituent countries of the UK. 

Silvia Manclossi, Head of Quality of Life Team, Office for National Statistics, said: ‘An important part of our work is looking beyond the economic health of the country to how its people are faring and inequalities in society.

‘Today, for the first time, we have identified how factors such as health, access to services and crime levels may affect how people rate their well-being in different parts of the UK.

‘This can help local authorities and other organisations to better understand where services could be targeted to help improve the well-being of people in their area.’