This is the happiest place to live in Great Britain

St Ives has been crowned the happiest place to live in Great Britain, according to Rightmove's Happy Home Index 2022.

The Cornish coastal town has overtaken Hexham as the winner, having alternated with the market town for the first spot since 2019. Famed for its golden-sand beaches and sheltered coves, residents praised the area for its access to green space, community spirit and the feeling of belonging.

Galashiels in the Scottish Borders is second in this year's list, which is the first time an area from Scotland has been ranked in the top three since 2016. It scored particularly highly on the friendly and politeness of people, coming top in this area across Great Britain.

Elsewhere, Anglesey is the happiest place to live in Wales, while Richmond upon Thames is once again the happiest place to live in London, coming top for an eighth year in a row. Cirencester, Gloucestershire, also made the top 20.

Rightmove's annual study was conducted among 21,000 people across Great Britain, asking people how they feel about where they live.

"This year's Happy at Home survey really shows that the things that make people happy to live in their area are not so much the physical aspects of that area but more the personal aspects, such as our sense of belonging, the community and the people," Tim Bannister, Rightmove's Director of Property Science, says.

"The last few months have undoubtedly been difficult for many, and as we learned during another difficult period in 2020, this is often when we look to our local area and community for support and happiness."

Take a look at the full list of places below:

20 happiest places to live in Great Britain 2022

1. St Ives, Cornwall

2. Galashiels, Scotland

3. Woodbridge, Suffolk

4. Hexham

5. Perth, Scotland

6. Harrogate, Yorkshire and The Humber

7. Anglesey, North Wales

8. Bury St Edmunds

9. Stirling, Scotland

10. Cirencester, Gloucestershire

11. Richmond Upon Thames, London

12. Falmouth, Cornwall

13. Monmouth, Wales

14. Leamington Spa, Warwickshire

15. Worcester, Worcestershire

16. Northwich, Cheshire

17. Altrincham, Trafford, Greater Manchester

18. Macclesfield, Cheshire

19. Newbury, Berkshire

20. Llandudno, Wales

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