Rightmove marketing boost to agents working in ‘happy’ locations

Rightmove claims to have found the happiest place in the UK - and it’s in Northumberland.

The market town of Hexham has topped Rightmove’s annual Happy at Home Index for 2021, regaining the top spot which it last held in 2019

Richmond in London rises up the ranks to take second place nationally this year, as well as being the happiest place to live in London for the seventh year running, while Harrogate takes the third spot. Stirling takes the crown of happiest place in Scotland and Llandrindod Wells is once again the happiest place to live in Wales

The tenth year of the study found those living in coastal villages were the happiest group of people in the study, and more than two thirds of people who moved within the last 12 months moved to a different area - and people in this group were happier than those who did not move home.

The Happy at Home Index, in its tenth year, was conducted among over 21,000 people across Great Britain, and asks residents how they feel about where they live, as well as asking them to rank 10 happiness factors.

This year’s study found a sense of belonging, the friendliness of the locals, and being able to be yourself were the most important factors in feeling happy in the area in which you live.

It shows how important having a sense of community is to overall happiness. A third of this year’s top 20 happiest towns were market towns, typically being smaller towns with weekly markets bringing the local community together.

This importance of connection carries over into this year’s study following the lockdown periods, and builds on the findings from last year, where people felt they had reconnected to their area and local community.

The importance of togetherness can also be seen in the types of settlements that made people most happy. Those in villages were more likely to be happy in their area than those in towns or cities, as they were more likely to feel the sense of community in their area, and have access to nature and green spaces.

Those living in a coastal village were the happiest of all, and those living in a coastal town or city were more likely to be happy in their area than someone living in a similar home inland.

The record-breaking housing market over the past year means that Rightmove predicts by the end of the year 1.5 million transactions will have taken place. The results of this year’s study show that those who have made a move are happier in their area than those who haven’t, regardless of where they have moved to.

Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s director of property data, comments: “It’s been an incredibly busy year in the housing market, with a lot of people deciding that now is the right time to move. 

“It is fascinating to see that people who moved in the last 12 months were more likely to be happy in their areas than those who did not. 

“Whether it may be a couple looking for a small change in the same area, tenants looking for more space, or a family completely changing their lifestyle and moving from the city to the coast, this has been the year that people have really seized the opportunity to move, and turned ideas into action.”

Great Britain’s Happiest Places 2021
Rank	Place	Region	Average Asking Price	Average Asking Rent (PCM)
1	Hexham	North East	£297,088	£842
2	Richmond upon Thames	Greater London	£1,196,892	£3,235
3	Harrogate	Yorkshire and the Humber	£353,624	£1,163
4	Hove	South East	£525,906	£1,879
5	Llandrindod Wells	Wales	£193,601	£445
6	Stirling	Scotland	£191,226	£877
7	Monmouth	Wales	£312,649	£929
8	St Ives	South West	£494,393	£1,150
9	Anglesey	Wales	£278,391	£776
10	Leamington Spa	West Midlands	£350,981	£1,203
11	Perth	Scotland	£167,160	£679
12	Hitchin	East of England	£491,223	£1,392
13	Woodbridge	East of England	£427,542	£1,129
14	Kendal	North West	£258,961	£837
15	Macclesfield	North West	£277,772	£981
16	Exeter	South West	£303,215	£1,234
17	Salisbury	South West	£318,806	£1,090
18	Horsham	South East	£433,892	£1,433
19	St. Albans	East of England	£632,320	£1,888
20	Guildford	South East	£542,947	£1,913