The ten worst places to live in the UK

Bradford has been named the worst place to live in Britain. The researchers from USwitch assessed quality of life on the basis of salaries, the cost of living, crime rates, education, broadband and mobile reception.

Bradford suffered particularly from the fact that it is home to the lowest average gross disposable household income - at £13,645. Life is made even tougher by the fact this is accompanies by the one of highest average weekly rents (£92.60). The researchers added that primary schools are also crowded, and just 44% of kids get five GCSEs at grades A-C.

Unemployment

In second place is Kingston Upon Hull. The area suffers from the fact that just 65% of people are in work - and of those who are in work, 24% are doing more than 45 hours a week to make ends meet. Incomes aren't among the worst in the country, and housing is relatively affordable, but living costs are reasonably high so that after buying the essentials, there's very little left.

Third place goes to the North of Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland gets a bit of stick from the study as a whole, as the North, South, East and West all make the top ten worst places to live. The very North suffers horribly from unemployment - with just 59% of people in work - and low incomes. The average rent is also fairly painful - at £75.68 a week and energy bills are unusually high.

Isolated

Fourth place goes to Eilean Siar in the Western Isles. This area doesn't fare particularly well in any of the main categories, but isn't the worst in any of them either. The researchers put it in fourth position because it is an overall low performer, and it is very cut off. Broadband is very slow, and there's only a mobile phone signal on 29% of the island.

Fifth position is taken by the West & South of Northern Ireland, which suffers particularly from the fact that only 68% of people are working, and incomes are low. One of the most striking results from the study was that rents are a shocking £85.77 a week - and bills are above average - which is why disposable income after bills is one of the worst on the list.

Sixth is Blackpool. Again unemployment is a problem, with only 65% of people in work. Weekly gross income is also one of the lowest figures in the country - at £417.10, and while rents and bills are low - they are not low enough to offset poor earnings.
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Property issues

Devon comes seventh, where low incomes and high house prices are largely responsible for the position in the table. 77% of people are in work, but only 35% work full time, so weekly income is £440.51 a week. Meanwhile houses are expensive, and rent averages £77.94 a week.

Eighth place goes to the central Valleys, where only 68% of people are employed, and weekly gross income is among the lowest - at £439.75. Housing is reasonably priced, and bills are around average, but rental costs are higher than many of the other areas in the list - at £72.59.

Low incomes

Ninth is the East of Northern Ireland, which again suffers from employment problems. Only 69% of people are in work, but of those, 23% are working more than 45 hours a week. Incomes are low - at £416.60, and rents are £82.74 a week, leaving people with very little left after paying for the basic essentials.

Tenth is South Teeside, which has an employment rate of 64%. Incomes are reasonable, but rents are relatively high, and the cost of living is not low enough to make up for people's poor earning power.

Of course, as the people behind the study emphasise, there's more to life than rankings - and this list just demonstrates the different experiences people have in different areas. There will be those, for example, who have retired to Devon and are living in a seaside idyll. Just as there are plenty of families in work in any one of these areas on decent incomes, with a great quality of life.

But what do you think? Is your area in this list, and does it deserve to be? Let us know in the comments.