Friendly Yorkshire market town crowned happiest place to live in Britain

The bustling market town of skipton North Yorkshire has been crowned the happiest place to live in 2025.

With a well-preserved medieval castle at its centre, Skipton is surrounded by beautiful scenery and is the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales.

The town’s attractions include a traditional high street market, a shopping arcade, a museum and a range of independent shops. Tourists and locals can visit the pub for a chat over a cup of tea, or wander Skipton’s cobbled streets and canal paths.

move right That said, residents of Skipton ranked it particularly highly for its access to nature and green spaces, the friendliness of people, and access to essential services such as schools.

Residents praised Skipton for feeling like they could live there on their own, and for the affordability of the area, feeling they earned enough to live comfortably.

Rightmove said it was ranked less highly for employment opportunities and access to desirable jobs and for residents living close to friends and family.

Rightmove said the average asking price for a house in Skipton is £326,093, which is below the current national average of £364,833.

The city took the top spot after ranking sixth in last year’s study and second in 2020.

Patrick McCutcheon, head of residential at Dacre, Son & Hartley in Yorkshire, said: “The combination of community, countryside and communications – Skipton has it all.

“A highly desirable living environment with immediate access to the Dales and a beautiful setting amongst some of the finest countryside in the area, and just over an hour from the Lake District.

“Leeds, Bradford, Harrogate and the M65, with its Manchester links, are easily accessible for both leisure and business.”

Skipton Building Society is a major employer in the area, with its head office located near the castle.

Ian Riglersford, who works in corporate affairs at Skipton Building Society, said: “Skipton is a place where the community really means something, and that’s what makes living and working here so special.

“The friendliness of the city, access to green spaces, and the incredible backdrop of Skipton Castle and the Yorkshire Dales all contribute to a quality of life that is hard to compete.

“From taking a lunch-time stroll to enjoying the views from our office, the balance this city offers is remarkable.

“It’s no surprise that Skipton has been named the happiest place to live; it’s a town where people look after each other, and that’s what makes it a really rewarding place to call home.”

Richmond upon Thames and camdenin both LondonRanked second and third respectively in Rightmove’s 2025 “Happy at Home” index.

Rightmove said Richmond residents ranked it highly for its access to nature and essential local services, as well as non-essential amenities such as restaurants and shops.

It said this year’s study marks the first time that Camden has achieved a “podium position” in 14 years of research collection.

Amy Reynolds, head of sales at London-based estate agent Antony Roberts, said of Richmond: “You’re never far from a green space, whether it’s Richmond Park, the towpath, or quiet areas of nature between neighbourhoods, yet you still have the cafes, independents and community centers that give the area its character. There’s a strong sense of connection here too; people don’t just live in Richmond, they participate in it.”

Stirling was named as the happiest place in Scotland, with Anglesey in Wales topping the list.

Ann Evans Jones, director of Morgan Evans in Anglesey, said: “Anglesey is a beautiful setting and has so much to offer including stunning coastal walks, beautiful beaches for relaxing and water activities.”

More than 19,500 people took part in Rightmove’s 2025 Happy at Home survey, which was self-selecting. Rightmove sent survey to everyone Britain Who had opted in to receive its communications.

Looking more broadly at this year’s results, Rightmove said, on average residents in the South West are the happiest where they live, and those in the East Midlands the least happy.

But it also says the margins are narrow, and overall more people across Britain are happy with where they live than are unhappy.

For those who believe they would be happier living in a different area, the South West of England is the most popular destination they want to visit.

People who live in rural areas are more likely to say they feel happy where they live than urban and suburban residents. Riverside, woodland or coastal locations are also more likely to have happy residents.

The study also showed that residents who live close to a national park or area of ​​outstanding natural beauty are generally happier than those who do not.

The study also indicated that being happy where you live increases with age, perhaps partly because as people get older they have larger housing budgets.

Residents aged 18 to 24 are the least likely to be satisfied with where they live and those aged 65 and older are the most likely to be happy with where they live.

Colleen Babcock, property expert at Rightmove, said: “Each year our study celebrates all the different things that make us feel happy where we live – our neighbours, green spaces, access to vital services.

“There’s a lot that goes into choosing an area to live apart from home. Being within easy reach of nature and green spaces regularly comes up as an important factor for people, along with having friendly neighbors and feeling like you can really live where you live.

“It is great to see the town of Skipton getting the attention it deserves this year as it has ranked highly in previous studies.”

Here are the happiest places to live in 2025, according to Rightmove, by region or nation, along with the average asking price of a home and the average asking rent per month:

1. Skipton, Yorkshire & Humber, £326,093, £1,038

2. Richmond upon Thames, London, £942,522, £3,189

3. Camden, London, £1,036,768, £3,523

4. Harrogate, Yorkshire and the Humber, £394,355, £1,535

5. Woodbridge, East of England, £462,734, £1,309

6. Altrincham, North West, £643,244, £2,968

7. Macclesfield, North West, £344,807, £1,407

8. Stirling, Scotland, £226,547, £1,208

9. Cirencester, South West, £472,990, £1,975

10. Hexham, North East, £331,198, £967

Here are the happiest places to live in the east of England, according to Rightmove, with the overall ranking in brackets:

1. Woodbridge (5)

2. Leigh-on-Sea (16)

3. Stevenage (24)

4. Clacton-on-Sea (25)

5. St. Albans (44)

Here are the happiest places to live in the East Midlands, according to Rightmove, with the overall ranking in brackets:

1. Chesterfield (82)

2. Loughborough (120)

3. Derby (121)

4. Lincoln (133)

5. Catering (151)

Here are the happiest places to live in the North East of England, according to Rightmove, with the overall ranking in brackets:

1. Hexham (10)

2. Newcastle-upon-Tyne (60)

3. Darlington (105)

4. Sunderland (132)

5. Durham (161)

Here are the happiest places to live in the North West of England, according to Rightmove, with the overall ranking in brackets:

1. Altrincham (6)

2. Macclesfield (7)

3. Rare (22)

4. Kendall (30)

5. Chester (39)

Here are the most pleasant places to live in Scotland, according to Rightmove, with the overall ranking in brackets:

1. Sterling (8)

2. Kirkcaldy (56)

3.Edinburgh (69)

4. Inverness (75)

5. Perth (80)

Here are the happiest places to live in the South East of England, according to Rightmove, with the overall ranking in brackets:

1. Maidenhead (14)

2. Horsham (15)

3. Tonbridge (17)

4. Winchester (18)

5. Newbury (29)

Here are the most pleasant places to live in the South West of England, according to Rightmove, with the overall ranking in brackets:

1. Cirencester (9)

2. Falmouth (11)

3. Dorchester (21)

4. Weymouth (23)

5. Torquay (36)

Here are the happiest places to live in Wales, according to Rightmove, with the overall ranking in brackets:

1. Anglesey (19)

2. Monmouth (20)

3. Llandrindod Wales (34)

4. Llandudno (35)

5.Cardiff (103)

Here are the happiest places to live in the West Midlands, according to Rightmove, with the overall ranking in brackets:

1. Leamington Spa (12)

2. Lichfield (13)

3. Stratford-upon-Avon (28)

4. Shrewsbury (32)

5. Tamworth (33)

Here are the most pleasant places to live in Yorkshire and the Humber, according to Rightmove, with the overall ranking in brackets:

1. Skipton (1)

2. Harrogate (4)

3. Whitby (27)

4. York (57)

5. Halifax (70)

Here are the most pleasant places to live in London, according to Rightmove, with the overall ranking in brackets:

1. Richmond upon Thames (2)

2. Camden (3)

3. Wandsworth (26)

4. Merton (40)

5. Southwark (51)