The happiest place to live in the UK is in SW London!

Richmond upon Thames is officially the happiest place to live in the whole of the UK. In a survey conducted by Right Move, all of the UK neighbourhoods were ranked using 13 factors which affect the happiness of residents. A total of over 26,000 people took part in the questionnaire, which asked them to rate statements like ‘I feel proud about the area I live in’, ‘Generally, the people are friendly and polite’ and the quality of both essential and non-essential amenities in the area.

Interestingly, it was the less tangible factors that contributed the most to happiness; community spirit and a feeling of belonging are more important than what shops and restaurants are in the neighbourhood, and it was in those areas where Richmond excelled and managed to steal the top spot from last years winner, St Ives. And is there any wonder! There’s a lot of good things going on in little ol’ Richmond. The parks, the river, Kew Gardens, access to great restaurants, gyms and transport into the centre of London is pretty good. Not to mention that it’s drop dead gorge.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has said about the award: “I’m delighted for Richmond to win this award. It has so much of what makes London so special – its access to beautiful green spaces, its real sense of community, and an array of shops, cafes and local culture that makes it stand out.” 

Darn right, Sadiq! Just focussing on the Greater London area, the SW had a good amount of representation with Kensington and Chelsea coming in at 2nd place and Wandsworth at 5th, making them 8th and 25th in the UK ranking respectively.