Do YOU live in Britain’s most miserable town? Rightmove reveals this Berkshire spot is the unhappiest place…
A Berkshire town has been ranked as the most miserable place to live in Britain, according to a yearly happiness study by Rightmove.
Slough, which is located equidistant between London and Reading, was ranked bottom of its annual list of the happiest places to live in 2024 – a list comprising some 220 locations.
The study, now in its 13th year, was completed by more than 35,000 people across the country.
Questions included whether they felt proud to live in their area, whether they had a sense of belonging, and whether they felt they could ‘be themselves’.
Being able to afford to live comfortably, good public transport connections, sports and recreational activities, and a sense of community spirit were also important.
While many locations across Britain clearly regard their local area fondly, some residents in Slough do not seem to take that view, based on Rightmove’s analysis.
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Rightmove’s Happy at Home Index asks residents how they feel about their area based on several happiness factors – it was completed this year by over 35,000 people
Despite this perception among residents, Slough isn’t a cheap place to live.
The average asking price of a property in Slough is currently £411,820, according to Rightmove, while renters face average rental prices of £1,824 per property.
Both are above the national average. The typical asking price is £366,592 while for renters the average rent outside of London is £1,348 a month.
However, for all the things Slough scores badly on, there will be few who can dispute its strong transport connections.
On its website, Slough Borough Council points to the fact that within 10 minutes drive of Slough is the M25, Europe’s busiest road.
The Council also says Slough is within a 10 minute drive of Heathrow Airport and a 20 minute train journey to Paddington Station in central London. Aside from that, Slough also boasts the biggest trading estate in Europe.
The next most miserable town to live in in the UK, according to Rightmove’s happiness index, is Bradford in Yorkshire and Humber.
But again it’s not all doom and gloom for the residents of Bradford. The city has been selected as the UK’s City of Culture for 2025.
It will host more than 1,000 new performances and events, according to Invest in Bradford website.
Bradford is also much cheaper than most UK areas. The average asking price is £181,791, according to Rightmove, while renters can bag a property for £940 a month on average.
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My kind of town: You’ll know just where you’re heading, as Slough is equidistant between London and Reading
The third most miserable place to live in Britain is Barking and Dagenham, according to Rightmove.
The east London borough is one of the more affordable parts of the capital, with average asking prices only a little above the UK average at £375,970.
However, its residents clearly take the view that you get what you pay for given it appeared in Rightmove’s index.
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The Least End: Barking and Dagenham was ranked 218 out of 220 areas in Rightmove’s annual Happy at Home Index
Other miserable hotspots include four other greater London boroughs. Croydon, Brent, Newham and Bexley.
Residents in Brent may feel they are not getting value for money given average asking prices in the north west London borough are £610,182 and average rental homes charge £2,393.
Three areas in the West Midlands also made the top 10 most miserable places to live in the UK.
Dudley, Walsall and Birmingham made the list. All three offer property prices below the UK average. The average asking price in Birmingham is £255,410.
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Remorseful? Walsall finished 215 out of 220 areas in Rightmove’s annual Happy at Home Index
What are the happiest places to live?
On the opposite end of the scale, Woodbridge in Suffolk has topped Rightmove’s annual list of the happiest places to live in Great Britain for the first time.
Residents of Woodbridge scored it particularly highly for feeling that they are able to be themselves in the area. They also liked the community spirit and friendliness of the people, and access to essential services such as doctors and schools.
Woodbridge lies close to the River Deben in Suffolk. It’s also located on the edge of the Suffolk and Essex Coast and Heaths National Landscape.
In the index as a whole, residents who said they lived near a National Landscape, formerly known as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, said they were happier in their area than those who did not.
The average asking price for a home in Woodbridge is £441,569, while the average advertised rent is £1,478 per calendar month.
Smug: Woodbridge in Suffolk has topped Rightmove’s annual list of the happiest places to live
Robin Sanders, mayor and chair of Woodbridge Town Council said: ‘It was a pleasure to hear Woodbridge has been ranked as the happiest place to live.
‘The happy mood of residents is a reflection of the vibrant town centre encompassing numerous listed buildings occupied by many independent shops, pubs and restaurants, a long-established and film industry renowned independent cinema and, not least, a thriving historic and unique riverside area to enjoy the vista onto the beautiful and internationally designated, and protected, environment of the tidal River Deben estuary.
‘The town residents with children have access to excellent state and public schools in the town, well run sports facilities and all residents enjoy and participate in frequent cultural events organised and supported by the town council in the parks and public open spaces.’
The London borough of Richmond upon Thames came in second place having topped the table last year, while Hexham in Northumberland, a previous winner, came in third.
Monmouth is once again the happiest place to live in Wales, while Stirling tops the list for Scotland.
| Rank | Place | Average Asking Price | Average Rent (per month) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Woodbridge | £441,569 | £1,478 |
| 2 | Richmond upon Thames | £939,329 | £3,131 |
| 3 | Hexham | £313,147 | £840 |
| 4 | Monmouth | £320,974 | £1,335 |
| 5 | Harrogate | £394,312 | £1,439 |
| 6 | Skipton | £263,479 | £1,030 |
| 7 | Sevenoaks | £881,061 | £2,924 |
| 8 | Leigh on Sea | £465,542 | £1,796 |
| 9 | Cirencester | £384,013 | £1,495 |
| 10 | Wokingham | £590,949 | £2,120 |
| 11 | Winchester | £578,760 | £2,069 |
| 12 | Stirling | £214,441 | £1,227 |
| 13 | Stratford on Avon | £413,115 | £1,604 |
| 14 | Horsham | £458,641 | £1,983 |
| 15 | Kendal | £285,645 | £966 |
| 16 | Kensington and Chelsea | £1,667,573 | £5,345 |
| 17 | Chorley | £197,199 | £883 |
| 18 | Hove | £555,193 | £1,993 |
| 19 | Wandsworth | £865,205 | £3,159 |
| 20 | Hitchin | £510,612 | £1,730 |
| Source: Rightmove |
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