A southern town has officially been named the happiest place in England

It is no secret that the environments we live in can affect not only our lifestyles but our overall mood in life. And believe it or not, despite the political state of our country right now, Britain can still be a happy place to be – especially if you reside in one particular southern town.

New research from the Royal Mail has revealed that Winchester is the happiest place in the UK and we’re officially ready to pack our bags to move there immediately.

The lovely town located in the historic region of Hampshire came out on top in the Royal Mail’s latest Happiness Index – a research study that analysed the happiest places across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales by measuring up eight key factors.

In a new survey conducted in 2019, the researchers looked into the crucial factors linked to happiness across the UK such as reported personal well-being, life expectancy, earnings, inequality, carbon emissions, crime, deprivation and access to health services.

They found that Winchester scored the highest overall results, much of which was thanks to the local authority’s high earnings, a high reported sense of wellbeing from residents and low levels of deprivation. It also helps that the area offers both city life and a slice of country living, which some would call the best of both worlds.

However, it wasn’t the only southern town to make the top ten. Ranking in at second place on the list was the rural town of Babergh in Suffolk, which was praised for its low carbon emissions and good access to health services. Meanwhile in Scotland, East Renfrewshire was crowned the happiest place and in Wales Monmouthshire topped the list, while the happiest place in Northern Ireland turned out to be Lisburn and Castlereagh.

The happiest places to live in the UK

England

1. Winchester
2. Babergh
3. Rushcliffe
4. Chiltern
5. Ribble Valley
6. Waverley
7. Forest Heath
8. Surrey Heath
9. Elmbridge
10. Epsom and Ewell

Scotland

1. East Renfrewshire
2. East Dunbartonshire
3. Aberdeenshire
4. Stirling
5. Scottish Borders
6. Midlothian
7. East Lothian
8. Highland
9. South Ayrshire
10. Shetland Islands

Wales

1. Monmouthshire
2. Vale of Glamorgan
3. Ceredigion
4. Carmarthenshire
5. Pembrokeshire
6. Bridgend
7. Neath Port Talbot
8. Cardiff
9. Torfaen
10. Powys

Northern Ireland

1. Lisburn and Castlereagh
2. Newry, Mourne and Down
3. Causeway Coast and Glens
4. Ards and North Down
5. Mid Ulster