The UK’s Happiest, Friendliest and Safest Cities

A study by Provident revealed the UK’s happiest, friendliest and safest cities. You might just be a little surprised by who tops the charts…

Following a survey of nearly 3,000 UK residents, a follow-up survey has found that Wolverhampton now just might be the best place to live in the UK if you want a happy life. Aberystwyth came bottom of the rankings which is a drop from the previous years high ranking results.

Here’s what the study found… How did your city fair?

Where are the happiest cities in the UK?

Feeling happy in your city is pretty vital to feeling settled and generally enjoying where you live. The problem is, a lot of external stresses from a city can taint your enjoyment. So, where is the happiest city in the UK?

Rank	City	Score
1	Wolverhampton	8.09
2	York	7.6
3	Worcester	7.57
4	Newcastle	7.03
5	Plymouth	7.01
6	Chelmsford	6.83
7	Liverpool	6.81
8	Edinburgh	6.72
9	Sheffield	6.69
10	Oxford	6.67
11	Portsmouth	6.66
12	Leeds	6.6
13	Cardiff	6.59
14	Bristol	6.49
15	Swansea	6.47
16	Coventry	6.46
17	Glasgow	6.44
18	Gloucester	6.44
19	Southampton	6.43
20	London	6.41
21	Belfast	6.39
22	Norwich	6.33
23	Wrexham	6.32
24	Manchester	6.24
25	Aberdeen	6.22
26	Leicester	6.21
27	Birmingham	6.2
28	Brighton and Hove	5.99
29	Cambridge	5.99
30	Aberystwyth	3.98

Residents were asked to rate their city out of 10 for a number of criteria, including happiness. Wolverhampton topped the chart as the happiest place to live in the UK, pushing last year’s winner Worcester, into third position. While York came second place. Newcastle remains in the fourth spot with 7.03 out of 10 while Plymouth and Chelmsford came fifth and sixth. The rest of the top 10 includes Plymouth, Chelmsford, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Sheffield and Oxford..

Down at the other end of the table, we see Aberystwyth in last place with a rather low 3.98 out of 10 happiness score, followed by Cambridge, Brighton and Hove and Birmingham. Above that, Leicester, Aberdeen and Manchester where scores get pretty close.

So, what makes a city happy?

There’s plenty of different possible answers to this question, all of which differ from person to person. An abundance of green space, coffee shops on every corner, buzzy social scene or simply a feeling of cleanliness. Are Londoners really as unhappy as the research suggests?

What are your thoughts on the UK’s happiest cities? Tweet us and let us know how you’d rate happiness in your area.

What is the safest city in the UK?

When asked about how safe residents feel in their city, Wolverhampton again topped the charts with an average score of 8.07 out of 10. Also, the happiest city in the UK, with Worcester coming second place, followed by York, Oxford, and Plymouth.

At the bottom of the table, we see Aberystwyth take last place, with Brighton and Hove, Birmingham, Manchester and Cambridge also within the bottom five.

Rank	City	Score
1	Wolverhampton	8.07
2	Worcester	7.87
3	York	7.85
4	Oxford	7.28
5	Plymouth	7.27
6	Newcastle	7.09
7	Edinburgh	7.01
8	Gloucester	7
9	Southampton	6.93
10	Bristol	6.92
11	Swansea	6.86
12	Chelmsford	6.85
13	Sheffield	6.8
14	Leeds	6.78
15	Belfast	6.74
16	Cardiff	6.7
17	Glasgow	6.7
18	Norwich	6.7
19	Leicester	6.68
20	Liverpool	6.67
21	Aberdeen	6.49
22	Portsmouth	6.49
23	Coventry	6.48
24	London	6.38
25	Wrexham	6.33
26	Cambridge	6.16
27	Manchester	6.12
28	Birmingham	5.93
29	Brighton and Hove	5.72
30	Aberystwyth	4.06

What is the friendliest city in the UK?

The residents of Wolverhampton have rated their city as the friendliest in the UK with a leading score of 8.23 out of 10. Worcester comes second with the happiest city in the UK (York) coming a close third, and Newcastle fourth..

On the other end of the scale, Aberystwyth takes the bottom spot once again with 3.88 out of 10. Familiar faces Brighton and Hove, Cambridge, London and Birmingham swiftly follow with a distinct feeling of unfriendliness communicated by residents.

Rank	City	Score
1	Wolverhampton	8.23
2	Worcester	7.73
3	York	7.66
4	Newcastle	7.53
5	Plymouth	7.16
6	Swansea	7.16
7	Liverpool	7.07
8	Leeds	7
9	Glasgow	6.95
10	Sheffield	6.91
11	Belfast	6.89
12	Portsmouth	6.87
13	Manchester	6.84
14	Edinburgh	6.82
15	Cardiff	6.69
16	Chelmsford	6.63
17	Oxford	6.56
18	Coventry	6.52
19	Southampton	6.5
20	Bristol	6.47
21	Wrexham	6.47
22	Leicester	6.37
23	Norwich	6.32
24	Gloucester	6.31
25	Aberdeen	6.17
26	Birmingham	6.07
27	London	6.07
28	Cambridge	6.01
29	Brighton and Hove	5.77
30	Aberystwyth	3.88

Is Wolverhampton the best city to live in the UK?

Wolverhampton was rated the happiest and most polite place to live by its residents. Furthermore, it also rated first in the safety, trust and area upkeep categories. So, is Wolverhampton as good as its residents claim?

Located in the West Midlands it is home to a university, ensuring its economy continues to grow and the city attracts new visitors every year. The history of industry grew initially from the wool trade. During the industrial revolution, it was a major centre for coal mining, steel production, lock making, and car manufacturing.

Home to Wolverhampton Wanderers Football club the sports fascination creates a unique feeling of pride among residents.

The city offers access to green spaces and historic sites stooped in culture. When visiting the city, it’s easy to see why residents are so full of praise for this truly unique place to call home.

Is Aberystwyth really the worst place to live in the UK?

Last year it faired so much better, so whats happened? This time around those surveyed felt it to be unfriendly, unwelcoming, unsafe, not well kept, impolite and generally an unhappy place to live.

There doesn’t seem to be much local love to be found in Aberystwyth, with residents ranking it low across all the catagories for review.

The city itself is home to a respected university, and the city attracts new visitors every year with its coastal location nestled between three three hills and two beaches.

How does your area measure up?

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Last Updated: November 1st, 2024