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Revealed: the happiest place to live in the UK

Christina Hoghton
Written By:
Christina Hoghton
Posted:
Updated:
18/08/2016

Residents of one Essex town really do like to be beside the seaside

The happiest place to live in Great Britain is Essex seaside town Leigh-on-Sea, according to Rightmove.

The town’s strong community spirit, sense of belonging, good access to sports and arts activities and opportunities to develop skills were some of the things that residents love about living there, according to the property portal.

Rightmove surveyed over 24,000 people to compile its Happy at Home Index and the results show that living by the sea seems to do wonders for happiness, as second place is another seaside town – Troon in Scotland – where locals feel they can be themselves and feel safe.

The study asks residents to rank 12 factors about their local area, ranging from how friendly the neighbours are and how much people feel that they can be themselves, to how good the local services are.

The picturesque spa town of Harrogate has come top for the past three years, but was pushed into third place, despite its beautiful green spaces helping its happiness ranking.

Rightmove’s Research Manager Abiola Oni said: “Obviously what ‘happy’ means to different people can vary greatly, but when you compare which factors score highest in the happiest areas, it shows just how important having friendly people in the local community area is alongside the services and amenities, which is something buyers often tell us when they are looking in new areas to live.

“Space is also one of the most important things when people are looking for a new home, so it’s not surprising that places with open spaces such as beautiful parks and beaches have featured in the top 10.”