Revealed: The best places to retire in the UK

Lucy Harley-McKeown
Updated
retire Beachside houses and other buildings at the port of Ullapool in Scotland, UK. Taken from the arriving ferry from Stornoway on a clear, sunny afternoon

Around a third (36%) of people ready for or approaching retirement said they had already moved or have considered moving house as part of their later-life plans, according to a survey by consumer group Which?.

Healthcare access (88%) was the most important factor for people looking to retire in the UK, followed by green space (75%) and proximity to local leisure activities (31%). Many also said they would prefer to live somewhere with low crime levels.

The analysis applied these factors to find the top-scoring local authority for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and each of the nine regions in England.

Which? gave each local authority a score out of 10 for healthcare, happiness, green space — specifically parks and playing fields — and also considered house price affordability.

Here's how some of the top areas ranked:

Newcastle-under-Lyme was one of the highest-scoring English local authorities for green space, scoring 9.6 out of 10. The area is home to 7.4 parks and playing fields within 1km on average.

It was also rated the joint-happiest English local authority based on data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), tying with High Peak in the East Midlands. It reached an overall score of 7.9 for health and wellbeing, according to the ONS.

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Average house prices in the area are also on the cheaper end of the spectrum at £180,000. Popular nearby attractions include the New Vic Theatre, Brampton Museum and Apedale Heritage Centre.

Another popular area in England was Merton, South West London. It scored highly for both healthcare (9.4) and its abundance of green spaces (9.6).

Retirees in this area would only need to travel 0.6km average distance to their nearest GP, and 0.6km average distance to their nearest pharmacy.

In Wales, the county borough of Wrexham came top. Wrexham AFC gained worldwide attention since Hollywood stars Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds took over the club.

It scored highly for its green spaces (9.1), with an average of 4.8 green spaces within 1km of the town. It also boasts some outstanding locations of natural beauty, including parts of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, a vast area of woodland, open fields and moorland, plus Chirk Castle.

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In Northern Ireland, Mid and East Antrim came top, receiving the highest score for healthcare, scoring a 10. The area provides a good safety net for retirees because there are 81 surgeries per 100,000 registered patients. What is more, its average house price is relatively low at £139,000.

Famed for its stunning coastlines, the Outer Hebrides topped the list of retirement locations in Scotland, scoring some of the highest marks for healthcare (9.7) and happiness (8).

For those looking for a place to retire in mainland Scotland, Which?’s research found that the Highlands area was another good option, scoring 8.8 out of 10 for healthcare and 7.8 out of 10 for happiness.

Top scoring locations:

  • Broxbourne

  • Elmbridge

  • Exeter

  • High Peak

  • Kirklees, Merton

  • Mid and East Antrim

  • Newcastle-under-Lyme

  • Outer Hebrides

  • South Tyneside

  • Stockport and Wrexham

Watch: "We quit the UK to retire early in Lanzarote — we're living the dream"

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