They say ‘money can’t buy happiness’ – but new research suggests that, when it comes to choosing where to live, it often plays a part. The findings reveal which locations in Britain deliver the biggest boost to happiness and how much extra buyers are willing to pay to secure them. The data also show that not every premium location guarantees improved personal well-being, and that in some cases, buyers can avoid paying a premium for living in a highly rated location with good personal well-being. Join us as we dive into the data to discover the happiest property locations.
The happiest property locations
When looking at the overall picture, lifestyle-led locations consistently outperform city living in terms of happiness, according to the research. Across the United Kingdom, the average property price is £268,652 with a mean happiness score of 7.39. In cities, the average property price drops to £223,543, but so too does the average well-being ranking, falling to just 7.24. By comparison, seaside towns have an average property price of £273,092 with a stronger happiness score of 7.33. However, it’s countryside market towns that lead the way overall, with an average price of £270,408 paired with the highest happiness score of 7.51.
City happiness rankings
At a regional level, the contrast between city, coastal and countryside living is also clear in the data. London, with an average price of £565,637, records a happiness score of just 7.32, placing it below the national average despite prices that are more than double the UK norm. Other major cities tell a similar story: Manchester (£256,579, 6.85), Cardiff (£270,159, 7.10), and Leeds (£241,163, 7.28) all report lower life satisfaction than rural or coastal locations.
Tim Simmons, Sales & Marketing Director at Regency Living, which compiled the research using data from the Office for National Statistics that measures annual personal well-being, and the UK House Price Index, said: “Our research shows that both the countryside and coast deliver a clear happiness premium, but it’s one that often comes with a higher house price tag.”
Countryside happiness premiums
Countryside market towns record the highest well-being scores overall. Ludlow tops the list with a score of 7.66 and an average property price of £282,436, around £14,000 above the UK average. Stamford follows with 7.60 at £256,332, while Harrogate and Knaresborough, which share a well-being ranking of 7.57, also share the same average house price of £272,463. Nantwich also performs strongly, recording a happiness ranking of 7.56 with a typical property value of £299,037.
These figures show that many of the happiest countryside locations command only a moderate premium compared with the UK average of £268,652.
Seaside well-being data
Seaside towns secured some of the strongest well-being scores in the dataset. In fact, Southwold, which has an average property price of £287,938, scored the highest happiness rating overall of 7.86, while Margate followed at 7.69 with an average property price of £269,525, both comfortably above the UK average for well-being satisfaction. Whitby (7.57, £272,463) and Woolacombe (7.56, £283,913) also stood out for their strong happiness rankings with prices close to or below the national average.
Not all premium coastal locations delivered the same result, however. Salcombe, one of the most expensive seaside markets, commanded an average price of £367,158 yet recorded a happiness score of just 6.90, well below the national benchmark, illustrating that higher property values do not always translate into higher satisfaction levels.
Where value and happiness align
Where value and happiness aligned most strongly in the research was in the smaller, less publicised markets. Porthmadog, with an average price of £196,584 and Tynemouth, at £197,521, both sit well below the national average while reporting higher-than-average happiness scores of 7.51 and 7.47, respectively. In the countryside, Dumfries (£161,234) and Keswick (£164,580) boast some of the lowest prices in the dataset, with some of the highest satisfaction levels recorded of 7.63 and 7.5, respectively. Coventry stands out in the city data, with the city enjoying an average property price of £223,694 and a happiness score of 7.45 – outperforming many larger urban centres on wellbeing while remaining more affordable than the UK average.
