Revealed! The happiest place in the UK
Carlisle town square. Photo: Rex
The northern town of Carlisle in Cumbria has come out as the happiest place to live in the UK in a new survey.
In fact, the old saying "It's grim up north" seemed to have no resonance in the 'Happy at Home' survey of 25,000 people carried out by property site rightmove.co.uk, as the top five spots were all from the North of England.
Carlise was followed by York, Huddersfield, Harrogate and Chester, according to the Daily Mail.
As well as being a happy place to live, Carlisle - located between Scotland and the Lake District on the path of Hadrian's Wall - has lots to offer visitors.
Carlisle Castle and Carlisle Cathedral are stunning and over 900 years old; there are a panoply of heritage tours and award-winning parks; hikers and cyclists can enjoy the Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail; and there are a host of art galleries, shops, and museums.
Southern towns in the top ten included Norwich, Dorchester and Exeter, while Llandudno in Wales and Derby in the East Midlands rounded out the top ten.
The unhappiest towns ranking was also a victory for the North, as nine out of the bottom ten were in southern areas.
Researchers gleaned 12 measurements of happiness from residents, which included ratings on the size and condition of homes, neighbourliness, and safety levels.
East London came out as the unhappiest area to live, coming lowest in ratings for decor, pride and safety.
In fact, high house prices in London affected the quality of life for many people, with South East London, North London and West London all featuring in the unhappiest top ten.
The ten happiest places to live in the UK are:
1 Carlise
2 York
3 Huddersfield
4 Harrogate
5 Chester
6 Llandudno
7 Norwich
8 Derby
9 Dorchester
10 Exeter
The ten unhappiest places to live in the UK are:
1 East London
2 Ilford
3 South East London
4 Luton
5 Romford
6 Oldham
7 Enfield
8 North London
9 West London
10 Harrow
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