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Do you live in one of Great Britain's happiest places?
Find out which places made the top 10 and how much it costs to live there
Sam covers personal finance topics, from the most affordable places to live to the reasons mortgage lenders say no. He enjoys crunching the numbers to help consumers get ahead.
A London borough has been named Great Britain's happiest place to live, beating more than 200 locations across England, Scotland and Wales.
Richmond upon Thames topped Rightmove's latest Happy at Home index, which asked 24,000 residents how they feel about where they live, from access to green space to local amenities.
But you don't have to live in London to be happy at home. Towns in Yorkshire, the Cotswolds and Wales also made the top five.
Read on to discover more about the happiest places to live in Great Britain, how much it costs to buy or rent and what makes residents happy.
1. Richmond upon Thames
Richmond Upon Thames has reclaimed the title of Great Britain's happiest place to live, having last topped the rankings in 2023.
The borough is made up of 14 neighbourhoods, including the towns of Twickenham, Hampton, Barnes, Kew and, of course, Richmond.
The area is best known for the 2,500-acre Richmond Park, the largest of London's Royal Parks and home to herds of deer. It is also home to Kew Gardens, one of the UK's most famous botanic gardens.
Easy access to central London, leafy neighbourhoods and plenty of green space come with high property prices. It is one of the country's most expensive locations.
- Average property asking price: £1,021,256
- Average monthly rent: £3,298
2. Harrogate
This Yorkshire spa town has gradually climbed up the rankings over the past few years, placing 4th last year and 5th in 2024.
Residents of Harrogate enjoy the best of both worlds: the amenities of a town paired with beautiful countryside nearby. The town is just a short drive from the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
However, this idyllic setting comes at a price. The town has some of the highest house prices in the north of England.
- Average property asking price: £395,776
- Average monthly rent: £1,750
3. Cirencester
Dating back to Roman times, Cirencester is the largest town in the Cotswolds.
Like the other locations in the top five, it combines good local amenities with natural beauty on its doorstep.
The town has retained its title as the happiest place to live in the South West.
- Average property asking price: £407,368
- Average monthly rent: £1,633
4. Monmouth
Monmouth has regained the title of the happiest place to live in Wales, taking fourth place in the overall rankings.
Monmouth is located in the picturesque Wye Valley and is just a short drive from the Forest of Dean.
The town is also not far from Cardiff. By car, you can reach the Welsh capital in under an hour.
- Average property asking price: £366,782
- Average monthly rent: £1,395
5. Hove
Hove, a seaside town in East Sussex, west of Brighton, is the highest-ranked coastal location.
It has risen significantly in this year's table, as it was way down at 41st last year.
Its coastal location in the South East means that average property prices are higher than in many other parts of Great Britain. Of the top five happiest areas, only Richmond upon Thames has higher average asking prices.
- Average property asking price: £476,115
- Average monthly rent: £2,086
Top 10 happiest places in Great Britain
No one region dominates the top 10 happiest places in Great Britain. In fact, the five happiest places are all in separate regions.
Last year's winner, Skipton, has slipped to 7th place, while Hove has climbed 36 places to 5th.
A Scottish location is a notable omission from the top 10. The highest-ranking Scottish place, Kirkcaldy, ranked just 18th. In 2025, no Welsh places finished in the top 10, but this year two locations made the list.
The table shows the top 10 happiest places to live in Great Britain, based on Rightmove’s latest data.
| 1 | Richmond upon Thames | Greater London | £1,021,256 | £3,298 |
| 2 | Harrogate | Yorkshire and The Humber | £395,776 | £1,750 |
| 3 | Cirencester | South West | £407,368 | £1,633 |
| 4 | Monmouth | Wales | £366,782 | £1,395 |
| 5 | Hove | South East | £476,115 | £2,086 |
| 6 | Chorley | North West | £234,387 | £1,011 |
| 7 | Skipton | Yorkshire and The Humber | £304,033 | £1,110 |
| 8 | Llandrindod Wells | Wales | £234,417 | £531 |
| 9 | Horsham | South East | £470,577 | £1,933 |
| 10 | Hexham | North East | £317,332 | £1,329 |
Source: Rightmove
The happiest towns in your region
The South West remains the region with the highest happiness rating. It has been top or joint-top for the past three years. Greater London has the lowest happiness rating of regions in Great Britain.
To find out the top five happiest places in your area, simply hover over your region on the interactive map.
What makes somewhere a happy place to live?
Access to green space remains an important factor in how happy someone is with where they live. All 10 of the highest-ranked locations scored well for access to nature and green space.
Rightmove's research found that we seek a balance between green space and convenience: 52% said they would ideally live somewhere rural, 66% wanted shops and amenities nearby, 62% wanted green spaces, and 61% wanted good public transport.
This helps explain Richmond upon Thames' success. It ranked first for access to nature and essential local services and restaurants, showing the balanced life the location provides.
Age also appears to play a part in how satisfied people feel about where they live. More than a third of respondents over 75 gave where they live a perfect 10 for happiness. For 18-to-24-year-olds, this figure was just 16%.
- Find out more: Finding the best place to live
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