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Revealed: the UK’s top location for quality of life

Christina Hoghton
Written By:
Christina Hoghton
Posted:
Updated:
17/12/2015

Which part of Hampshire has topped the 2015 Halifax Quality of Life Survey for best places to live for the fifth year in succession?

The best place to live in the UK in terms of quality of life is Hart, in north east Hampshire, according to Halifax.

The area remains at the top of the lender’s Quality of Life Survey by scoring consistently highly across a range of categories covering residents’ health and life expectancy, personal well-being, employment, a low crime rate and good weather.

On average, inhabitants of Hart are the healthiest in the UK, with over 97% reporting themselves to be in good health. Women can claim a high average life expectancy of 86.6 years and for men it is 82.4 years – both among the longest.

In addition, adults in Hart rate themselves to be among the happiest, most satisfied, believe what they do is worthwhile, and the least anxious in the country.

Add in a high employment rate, well above average earnings, a relatively low crime rate and good weather and it’s easy to see why Hart comes out top.

High price to pay

But all this comes at a price, and the cost of housing in Hart is high, with an average house price eight times the average annual pre-tax local income, compared to the national average of 6.8.

Martin Ellis, housing economist at Halifax, said: “A mixture of good health, high wealth and a generally happy life continues to cement Hart’s place as the best place to live in the UK.

“Many areas in south eastern England also perform well in terms of average earnings, employment rates, health and the weather.”