Rotherham ranked unhappiest place to live in England

Rightmove asked 21,000 people to complete a study based on their overall happiness with their area and what makes a place feel like home.  

Out of 221 cities, towns and villages surveyed, Rotherham came bottom of the list.

Two other Yorkshire towns and cities made it into the bottom ten — Bradford and Wakefield — along with five London area locations. 

According to Rightmove, the happiest place to live in the UK is St Ives in Cornwall — with average house prices reaching £523,731 and a rental market price of £1,152 per month.

One Yorkshire town did make it in the top ten, with Harrogate named the sixth happiest place to live in the UK.  

The property website questioned residents on their categories such as community spirit, access to nature and green spaces and the availability of artistic and cultural activities. 

Property expert Tim Bannister explained that the survey was set against the backdrop of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis in the country.

“Our Happy at Home survey really shows that the things that make people happy to live in their area are not so much the physical aspects of that area but more the personal aspects, such as our sense of belonging, the community and the people,” he said. 

“The last few months have undoubtedly been difficult for many, and as we learned during another difficult period in 2020, this is often when we look to our local area and community for support and happiness.”

Rightmove’s top 10 Happiest places to live: 

1) St Ives, Cornwall    

2) Galashiels, Scotland,    

3) Woodbridge, Suffolk

4) Hexham, Northumberland    

5) Perth, Scotland    

6) Harrogate, North Yorkshire    

7) Anglesey, Wales    

8) Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

9) Stirling, Scotland    

10) Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Rightmove’s 10 unhappiest places to live: 

1) Rotherham, South Yorkshire

2) Barking and Dagenham, London

3) Luton, Bedfordshire

4) Wakefield, West Yorkshire

5) Newham, London

6) Bradford, West Yorkshire

7) Slough, Berkshire

8) Enfield, London

9) Harrow, London

10) Brent, London