The South West of England has taken the top spot as the happiest place to live, according to a survey from Lloyd’s Bank.

The research, which looked at the impact of home ownership, household size and salary on Brits’ happiness, found that those in Scotland are the second happiest, followed by Yorkshire in third place. It asked residents to rate their happiness level, with 100 being the most happy.

What makes you happy?

Those who reported being the happiest said good transport links, convenient amenities, living close to friends and family, safety, cleanliness and a good community spirit all contributed to their happiness levels.

The areas where residents reported being the least happy were Wales, London and the West Midlands, with locals at least 28% less happy than those living in the South West.

Regions in order of happiness

South West (51.4)
Scotland (48.48)
Yorkshire (47.97)
North West (45.5)
South East (43.57)
Northern Ireland (41.38)
East Midlands (40.82)
East of England (40.62)
North East (40)
West Midlands (37.22)
London (36.16)
Wales (33.67)

People aged over 65 were the happiest of all age groups, ranking 66% happier than those in their late teens, twenties and early thirties.

Those who own their homes outright reported higher levels of happiness (54) than those with a mortgage to pay (48) or renting (24). Of those renting, the least unhappy with their situation are those renting from a local authority (14) or housing association (25).

Causes of unhappiness

High crime rates, anti-social behaviour, poor local services, unemployment, not knowing your neighbours and loneliness were the main issues reported by the Britain’s least happy residents.

Interestingly, people earning more money were not necessarily happier, according to the research.

Those earning between £30,000-£39,999 have a higher happiness score (47) than those in the £60,000-£69,999 earnings bracket (44). However, those earning between £50,000-£59,999 per year were the happiest group overall (65), ranking 12% happier than those earning over £100,000 per year.

Andy Mason, mortgages director at Lloyds Bank, said: “The happiness ranking gives us an idea of the quality of life in each region across Britain, with the South West taking the top spot this year. Financial security clearly plays a role in how happy we are, but that doesn’t tell the full story. Other factors like convenient amenities, living close to friends and family, and a good community spirit make a big impact too.”