IT IS official - Worcester is one of the happiest places to live in the UK.

The Faithful City has ranked highly in a Rightmove study of the top 10 happiest places to live in Great Britain.

In the property website's 12th annual 'Happy at Home Index', Worcester finished third in the West Midlands, and 30th in Great Britain.

The index asks residents how they feel about their area based on 13 happiness factors - and was completed this year by over 26,000 people.

The study found that feeling a sense of pride, belonging, and community is most likely to contribute to feeling happy to live in an area, more so than having access to things like public transport, schools and job opportunities.

In the West Midlands, Stourbridge came in at first, also ranking at 20 across Great Britain, and Leamington Spa came in at second, and in 24th across Great Britain.

The borough of Richmond-upon-Thames in London was crowned the happiest place to live in Great Britain, which is the first time an area from London has taken the top spot. 

The 13 happiness measures that the index is compiled with are:

  1. I feel proud about the area I live in
  2.  I feel a sense of belonging
  3. There's a real sense of community spirit
  4. Generally, the people are friendly and polite
  5. I can be myself
  6. Nature and green spaces
  7. I earn enough to live comfortably in my area
  8. Artistic and cultural activities
  9. Employment opportunities and desirable jobs
  10. Sports and recreational activities
  11. Essential local services e.g. doctors, schools
  12. Non-essential amenities e.g. restaurants, shops
  13. Public transport connections i.e. bus, train, tram

Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s property expert, said: “Searching for new areas outside of the city that are still commutable on office days and looking for cheaper properties that are in need of renovation are just some of the actions we’ve seen determined movers take this year.

"The results of this year’s study highlights that residents continue to value living near green spaces and natural beauty, features that became all the more important during the pandemic.

"With moving to an area that makes them happy a key motivator for people looking for their next home, highlighting these types of features nearby could really help sellers looking to appeal to potential buyers.”