Yorkshire is a grand place to live anyone who lives here is bloomin’ lucky to do so. With its green fields, a glorious mix of people and quaint towns. So it’s quite a surprise that one of Yorkshire’s towns has been named the unhappiest in the UK.
This year’s list comes off the back of a pandemic and as we enter a cost-of-living crisis when a sense of belonging and community is needed more than ever.
This year’s study is set against a backdrop of rising cost-of-living concerns, and a sense of belonging is what people valued most among the survey’s happiness measures.
Rotherham, Bradford, and Wakefield all featured in the Rightmove list of the ten unhappiest places to live, whilst Harrogate sat in sixth place in the happiest places to live list dropping from third place in the 2021 list.
Asking 21,000 people to complete a study on their overall happiness within their area and how it made them feel, Rightmove collated the data and create the lists.
Read More: Two Yorkshire Towns Named Some Of The Best ‘Hidden Gems’ In The UK
Out of 221 cities, towns and villages, it was Rotherham that featured at the bottom. Residents score their area on community spirit, access to green spaces and artistic and cultural activities.
Rotherham has some fantastic green spaces including Clifton Park, Greasbrough Park and Boston Park, which come highly recommended. Not to mention it’s a car drive from the Peak District.
Property expert Tim Bannister explained that the survey said: “Our Happy at Home survey really shows that the things that make people happy to live in their area are not so much the physical aspects of that area but more the personal aspects, such as our sense of belonging, the community and the people”.
“The last few months have undoubtedly been difficult for many, and as we learned during another difficult period in 2020, this is often when we look to our local area and community for support and happiness.”
Rightmove’s top 10 Happiest places to live:
1. St Ives, Cornwall
2. Galashiels, Scotland,
3. Woodbridge, Suffolk
4. Hexham, Northumberland
5. Perth, Scotland
6. Harrogate, North Yorkshire
7. Anglesey, Wales
8. Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
9. Stirling, Scotland
10. Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Rightmove’s 10 unhappiest places to live:
1. Rotherham, South Yorkshire
2. Barking and Dagenham, London
3. Luton, Bedfordshire
4. Wakefield, West Yorkshire
5. Newham, London
6. Bradford, West Yorkshire
7. Slough, Berkshire
8. Enfield, London
9. Harrow, London
10. Brent, London
Read More: This Idyllic Yorkshire Seaside Town Has Been Named Best Place To Stay In The UK
Feature Image Credit: Flickr/ Ben Sutherland
