This year’s Happy at Home study, now in its 11th year, asked over 21,000 people how they feel about where they live.
The results show that having a sense of belonging to your local area is the most important contributor towards happiness, along with having a strong sense of community, and polite and friendly residents.
St Ives in Cornwall has been named this year’s happiest place to live in the UK by its residents and Rightmove’s study. Galashiels in the Scottish Borders is in second place, and Woodbridge in Suffolk is in third.
Here’s how towns and cities in Sussex rated at both a regional and national level.
St Ives in Cornwall has been named this year’s happiest place to live in the UK by its residents and Rightmove’s study. Galashiels in the Scottish Borders is in second place, and Woodbridge in Suffolk is in third.
![Chichester is the fourth-happiest place to live in Sussex. Regionally, West Sussex's only city ranks ninth for happiness while nationally it ranks 39th.](https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjM0ODNkOTYyLTBmNTAtNGQ4Ny05NWRkLThlZjRkNmIwNzBkNTplNGYyNWVlYS0xYmI5LTQxNDctYjVhMi00Zjg2OTgwOTYzNTM=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
5. Chichester
Chichester is the fourth-happiest place to live in Sussex. Regionally, West Sussex's only city ranks ninth for happiness while nationally it ranks 39th. Photo: Steve Robards
![Eastbourne is the fifth-happiest place to live in Sussex, according to Rightmove's study. The East Sussex town has been named the 12th-happiest place to live in the South East and 51st nationally.](https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjI4NzMwOTg0LTM5ZjctNDkxOC1hODdlLWQ5ZDFiYTdlM2UxMDo3ZDliMmViMi1mODY5LTQ0NDktYTI4Ni1lZTE3NGMxZmM5ZGQ=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
6. Eastbourne
Eastbourne is the fifth-happiest place to live in Sussex, according to Rightmove's study. The East Sussex town has been named the 12th-happiest place to live in the South East and 51st nationally. Photo: Justin Lycett
![Brighton ranks as the sixth-happiest place to live in Sussex. East Sussex's only city has been ranked the 16th-happiest place to live in South East England and 65th in the UK.](https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjRiYWJmOGRjLTlhMzMtNGNmMy04MjM2LTIyZDlhNmJlMjhhZTphYmI5YmI0MS0zZGM4LTRmODItYmE3NC05YTcwMzE3OWIwMmY=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
7. Brighton
Brighton ranks as the sixth-happiest place to live in Sussex. East Sussex's only city has been ranked the 16th-happiest place to live in South East England and 65th in the UK. Photo: Steve Robards
![Hastings has been named the seventh-happiest place to live in Sussex. The coastal town is the 27th-happiest place to live regionally and 123rd nationally.](https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjFhNWZhYzY5LTY4NTMtNDJhNi04MGIxLTQ0NDFlMWRiYWEzMjo1NTQyNDBlNC1mMGRmLTQyM2MtOTk0MS02OWI0ZWQzMWFhYzg=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
8. Hastings
Hastings has been named the seventh-happiest place to live in Sussex. The coastal town is the 27th-happiest place to live regionally and 123rd nationally. Photo: Staff