Harrogate is back in top three of happiest places to live in the UK

Harrogate events coming up this New Year's weekend and January 202

A sense of belonging, access to green spaces and a vibrant town centre have all played their part in new data by Rightmove, the UK’s leading property website, which shows Harrogate is the third-top happiest place to live in the UK.

The winning town in Rightmove’s annual Happy at Home Index was judged to be Hexham in Northumberland while Richmond upon Thames came second.

The result will come as a relief to many in Harrogate after its position appeared to slip in recent years after winning UK happiness polls three years in a row from 2013–2015.

Daryll Digpal, Managing Director at Beadnall Copley in Harrogate said: “The Harrogate market has been incredibly busy with property prices across both lettings and sales markets soaring due to unprecedented demand fuelled by lockdowns and the Chancellor’s Stamp Duty holiday.

“The town boasts a thriving high street with many international retail brands, a booming hospitality industry and excellent state and

private schools.

“Furthermore, at its heart is the famous Stray owned by the Duchy of Lancaster, a much-enjoyed haven, particularly over the past 18 months.

“As such it is no surprise that this attractive spa town is one of the country’s happiest places to live.”

This year’s Rightmove study 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, with weekly markets bringing the local people 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 Rightmove index found that residents in Hexham were happier than any other area with a sense of belonging the most important factor for overall happiness.

It is also popular with residents due to its easy access to nature and green spaces, and the friend and polite nature of those who live there.

In one way, at least, Harrogate can claim top spot, winning the battle of property prices with Hexham.

When it came to average asking prices for a home, Hexham was £297,088 while Harrogate’s was £353,624.

Although the average asking price for a home in Hexham had increased by 6% compared to last year with monthly rents rising, too, to an average of £842, the market town still lags in that regard behind Harrogate where average rents are now £1,163.

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.

More than two-thirds (69%) of people who moved in the last year, chose to move to a different area.

Nearly two-thirds of these people (64%), said they are happier in the area they now live, compared with where they moved from.

One in five (21%) said they were just as happy in their new area.

Being happier in a new area was highest amongst those who moved from a town to a village, with 81% saying they were happier where they now live, and 11% were just as happy as where they lived before.

Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s Director of Property Data, says: “It’s been an incredibly busy year in the housing market, with a lot of people deciding now is the time to move.

“It is also 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.

“This has been the year that people have really seized the opportunity to move, and turned ideas into action.”

More information at www.rightmove.co.uk/

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