Best places to live in England and Wales in 2026 – and how much they cost

Homemovers and first-time buyers alike looking for the ideal place to live in 2026 may increasingly find the best deal for lifestyle and property price potential in the North, according to new research.

Towns in Greater Manchester, in particular, feature heavily in the 2026 Best Places to Live Index, which identifies places with the perfect blend of value for money, natural beauty, good schools, jobs and a high quality of life for those looking to buy a house.

The annual league table ranks the best cities, towns and villages in England and Wales with more than 5,000 residents according to 18 separate criteria.

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This includes proximity to National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, air quality, crime figures, the closeness to good state schools and availability of high-paying jobs, transport and broadband connections.

The analysis, which ranked 1447 locations, is compiled by Garrington Property Finders, one of Britain’s largest independent property buying agents.

Jonathan Hopper, chief executive of Garrington, said: “The price of a typical family home rose in 16 of the top 20 locations in our 2026 ranking, but all offer a strong combination of excellent amenities, a high quality of life and good value for money compared to their regional market.

“Many buyers paused their moving plans in the latter part of 2025, but our team of experts across England and Wales is now seeing a surge in interest from people ready to make a move in 2026.

“With the Bank of England base interest rate back below 4%, mortgages have become more affordable and this gives would-be buyers greater freedom to pick a property that’s perfect for them.”

We look at the happiest places to live in the UK and what they cost in a separate article.

Best places to live in England in 2026

Marple, a picture-postcard town on the edge of the Peak District just nine miles from central Manchester, has taken the top spot as 2026’s best place to live, in a ranking of more than 1,400 communities across England and Wales.

Described as an “oasis of charm and calm”, Marple is understood to have been the inspiration for the name of Agatha Christie’s older lady sleuth. It is also where the house prices of family homes rose 7.6% in value last year.

A perennial high-achiever – having come fourth in the 2025 ranking – Marple is just 25 minutes from the heart of the city. Residents enjoy a strong community spirit, two brass bands, a neighbourhood cinema and lots of independent shops. The town also has miles of canal towpaths and wooded valleys that powered it to 18th place in the natural beauty category of the ranking.

At £517,119, a typical family home (defined as 1500 square feet) in the town costs well above the English national average. Yet even though family home prices there rose by almost 8% over the previous year – much faster than those in southern England – they remain competitive for a prime area of Greater Manchester, and Marple scooped 27th place in the property value for money category.

The North also secured second-place in the rankings of the best place to live in 2026 with Rawdon in West Yorkshire.

Just six miles from the centre of Leeds providing access to city amenities, the village came 95th in the natural beauty category – with sweeping landscapes and panoramic views – and represents good value after the price of an average family home dipped by 0.3% over the year to reach £451,094.

House price differences North and South

Average property prices in England rose by 1.4%, and by 1.5% in Wales, during the 12 months to October 2025, according to Land Registry house price index data. But these national averages of house prices mask huge regional variations and a narrowing of the gap between north and south.

Over the same 12-month period, the average London property fell in value by 2.4%. At the other end of the scale, average prices surged 5% in North East England and rose 3.1% in both the North West and in Yorkshire and the Humber.

However, Garrington’s analysts identified several prime locations that bucked their regional trends to become better value.

Sixth-placed Bowdon is one example. The prestigious village, also in Greater Manchester, came 37th in the schools, jobs and connectivity category of the ranking but was lifted by its slower property price increase.

Home to Premier League footballers and celebrities, and located in the prime ‘Golden Triangle’ between Manchester and Liverpool, Bowdon has become a touch more affordable after the price of a typical family home rose by a modest 1.3% to reach £639,321.

Garrington’s Hopper said: “The property maps of England and Wales were redrawn in 2025 as prices headed in opposite directions in different parts of the country. The north-south divide narrowed slightly as prices rose steadily in more affordable northern areas, and fell in the most expensive parts of London and the south.

“The big falls in prime central London values made headlines, but our analysis has revealed many other highly desirable areas across England and Wales where homes have become more affordable over the past year.”

Best place to live in southern England

The highest ranked place in southern England is St Albans in Hertfordshire. A city founded in Roman times, it also has a long history as an ideal place to live. It came fifth in the 2025 league table and has climbed to third in the 2026 ranking.

Just over 20 minutes by train from central London, St Albans is popular with wealthy commuters and has schools and property prices to match. At £895,411, the price of a typical family home in the city is the highest in the top 20 for 2026.

Best place to live in Wales

The highest ranked place in Wales is Penarth, a seaside town just three miles from the centre of Cardiff. Famed for its Art Deco pavilion and pebble beach, the town looks out across the waters of the Severn Estuary and clinched 34th place in the heritage and culture category of the ranking.

With a typical family home in the town costing £436,219 after average prices softened by 4.4% over the past year, Penarth has become significantly better value and ranks 113th overall for 2026.

All of the 1447 cities, towns and villages selected for the 2026 ranking score well in at least one category. Garrington's has an interactive search tool to pinpoint places that offer more of the things that matter most to homemovers.