Horsham named among the happiest places to live in Britain in annual survey

The West Sussex market town was ranked ninth in Rightmove’s 15th annual “happy at home index”.

Richmond upon Thames was crowned the happiest place to live in Britain.

But with easy access to central London and residents being able to stroll down the Thames pathways, spot roaming deer, and enjoy boutiques and cafes, living in Richmond comes at a price – with the average asking price for a home there standing at more than £1 million.

Harrogate in North Yorkshire was placed second, while Cirencester in Gloucestershire was third.

In Wales, Monmouth was the highest ranked, while in Scotland Kirkcaldy took the top spot.

Last year’s winner, Skipton in North Yorkshire, remained among Britain’s top 10 happiest places to live, ranking seventh in this year’s study, which collected responses from more than 24,000 people.

Richmond upon Thames returned to number one after previously winning in 2023 and finishing second last year.

The leafy London borough ranked particularly highly across several aspects of local life, including access to nature and green spaces, essential local services, shops and restaurants, employment opportunities and desirable jobs, as well as residents’ pride in their area, Rightmove said.

Fans of hit TV series Ted Lasso will also recognise filming locations in Richmond.

Second-placed Harrogate also ranked highly for access to nature and green spaces, as well as residents’ agreement with the statement “I can be myself”, according to the study.

Across Britain, four-fifths (81 per cent) of people who took part in the survey said they are happy with where they live.

People took part in the research after being emailed via Rightmove’s database, so the survey was self-selecting.