How much would it cost you to buy a house in Great Britain's happiest places?

Richmond upon Thames, a leafy suburb in south-west London, has been named the happiest place to live in Britain.

The town came first place in property website Rightmove’s annual Happy at Home Index, which asked over 24,000 residents in 221 locations how happy they feel about where they live.

The town is a stone’s throw away from the Royal Botanical Gardens, and boasts the beautiful green space of Richmond Park, which is home to a herd of deer. It’s close to central London too – which you can get to in around half an hour using public transport.

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Thanks to its amenities and proximity to the capital, the average asking price for a home in Richmond is £1,021,256, far above the UK average of £371,015 and London’s average of £673,942, according to Rightmove’s house price index.

The average asking rent is £3,298 per calendar month for a typical home there.

Richmond ranked highly in Rightmove’s index thanks to its easy access to nature and green spaces, the strength of its local services, and the glut of shops and restaurants in the local area. Residents also said the town facilitated employment opportunities and desirable jobs.

Colleen Babcock, property expert at Rightmove said: “Richmond stands out for offering a combination many people value: easy access to nature and green spaces, without having to give up local services, places to eat and shop, or employment opportunities.

“That balance between greenery and everyday convenience runs through the wider findings. Even among people who would ideally choose a rural setting, access to amenities, parks and public transport remains important. This year’s results suggest that the places people rate most highly aren’t simply urban or rural, but often bring together some of the best elements of both.”

The happiest places in Great Britain – and how much living there will cost you

Harrogate in Yorkshire is the second-happiest place to live in the UK after Richmond, Rightmove’s data shows.

The spa town is just a short drive from the Yorkshire Dales National Park and is known for its historic Victorian town centre where you can visit the Turkish Baths or enjoy afternoon tea at the famous Bettys Tea Rooms.

Harrogate also suits those who want to balance a more rural lifestyle with close proximity to a major city, as it takes just over half an hour to reach Leeds by public transport.

The average asking price for a home in Harrogate is £395,776, far higher than the UK average and the Yorkshire average of £260,019. The average asking rent in the city is £1,750.

Cirencester in South Wales is the third-happiest place to live in Great Britain, with average asking prices for homes there being £407,368.

There are five towns in the top ten happiest places in Great Britain where average house prices are lower than the UK average. These are Monmouth, Chorley, Skipton, Llandrindod Wells, Hexham.

Skipton, the Yorkshire market town known as the ‘gateway to the Dales’, topped 2025’s list of happiest places, but has fallen to be the seventh-happiest place in Great Britain in 2026. The average asking price for a home there is £304,033.

Source: Rightmove, 11 November

The happiest places to live in London

The UK’s capital city is one of the most desirable places to live in the world. It is home to world-class museums, art galleries, and much more. It is also one of the globe’s financial centres.

But parts of London are much happier than others, according to Rightmove’s data.

Richmond tops the list of the happiest London boroughs, but it is closely followed by the wealthy boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea.

Meanwhile, the least happy borough of London is Barking and Dagenham, which is also one of its most impoverished.

A full list of the happiest boroughs of London can be found below.