The Yorkshire spa town of Harrogate has been named the happiest place to live in Britain for the second year running.
Safety, recreational pursuits and friendly neighbours were cited by Harrogate residents as important factors that helped them feel content in their town.
"Why slum it down south when Harrogate delivers Georgian grandeur and the delights of Betty's Tea Rooms?" asks The Independent. The paper notes that the town is "surrounded by stunning North Yorkshire countryside" and is famed for its historic Royal Baths.
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Inverness came second in the Happy at Home index, compiled by property website Rightmove, while Taunton came third.
Nearly 50,000 people were asked to rank 12 different factors about their home life to assess how happy, or not, they are with the towns and communities they call home. Respondents were asked how proud they are of their community, how safe they feel and whether they worry about the value of their property.
East London was voted the least happy place to live, followed by Ilford and Croydon. All of the ten most miserable places to live were in London.
People in Croydon voted their own community the most unsafe place to live, while East Londoners said they had the least friendly neighbours. Kirkcaldy in Fife – where a six-bedroom detached house with eight acres of land can be bought for less than £800,000 – came top for space, with West London the worst for room to breathe.
The survey comes as figures from the Office for National Statistics show that property prices increased in London by 17 per cent in the year to the end of March, compared to an overall eight per cent rise in the UK.
Happiest places to live in Britain
1. Harrogate, Yorkshire and the Humber
2. Inverness, Scotland
3. Taunton, south-west
4. Stockport, north-west
5. Falkirk, Scotland
6. Norwich, East Anglia
7. Hull, Yorkshire and the Humber
8. Preston, north-west
9. Truro, south-west
10. Telford, West Midlands
Least happy places to live
1. East London
2. Ilford
3. Croydon
4. East Central London
5. Twickenham
6. Enfield
7. North London
8. Harrow
9. South East London
10. West London
