TrackPostcode.UK

Rankings

Best places to live in the UK

Every indexed area ranked on one overall liveability score, built from twelve weighted categories of open government data.

In short

The best places to live in the UK on this page are ranked by a single 0 to 100 liveability score combining twelve open-data categories. The current top three are Darlington (77), Chorley (77) and Coatbridge (77).

  • Overall score: all twelve categories, weighted and renormalised over whatever data exists for each area.
  • Ranked from 539 indexed UK areas, rebuilt daily from the latest published figures.
  • Every area links to a full report with the source behind each figure.

Compiled by the TrackPostcode.UK data team Data last updated How we score every area Data sources

Darlington77Chorley77Coatbridge77Airdrie77Falkirk77Sunderland76Stranraer76Lancaster76Paisley76Stoke-on-Trent76
Best places to live in the UK: the top ten, drawn from the same figures as the table below.
Top ten compared across the categories that most often change the answer
#AreaNationScoreCost of livingSafetyWeatherBroadband
=1DarlingtonEngland7789417893
=1ChorleyEngland778349—92
=1CoatbridgeScotland778246—96
=1AirdrieScotland778246—96
=1FalkirkScotland777648—96
=6SunderlandEngland7688417896
=6StranraerScotland769748—68
=6LancasterEngland768246—92
=6PaisleyScotland768350—97
=6Stoke-on-TrentEngland768841—97

Category scores are 0 to 100 and a dash means that dataset has not loaded for the area yet, in which case it is excluded from the overall score rather than guessed at. Open any area for the full report and its sources.

Best places to live in the UK: the full ranking

Areas are ranked on whatever categories they have, with the weights renormalised over them, so an area with a gap is scored on its own remaining evidence. Show only areas measured on all twelve categories to compare like with like.

=1DarlingtonDarlington, North East, England · 95% complete77=1ChorleyChorley, North West, England · 90% complete77=1CoatbridgeNorth Lanarkshire, Scotland · 90% complete77=1AirdrieNorth Lanarkshire, Scotland · 85% complete77=1FalkirkFalkirk, Scotland · 85% complete77=6SunderlandSunderland, North East, England · 100% complete76=6StranraerDumfries and Galloway, Scotland · 90% complete76=6LancasterLancaster, North West, England · 85% complete76=6PaisleyRenfrewshire, Scotland · 85% complete76=6Stoke-on-TrentStoke-on-Trent, West Midlands, England · 85% complete76=11BostonBoston, East Midlands, England · 100% complete75=11ChesterfieldChesterfield, East Midlands, England · 100% complete75=11IlkestonErewash, East Midlands, England · 100% complete75=11Stockton-on-TeesStockton-on-Tees, North East, England · 100% complete75=11DurhamCounty Durham, North East, England · 95% complete75=11Long EatonErewash, East Midlands, England · 95% complete75=11BridgendBridgend, Wales · 90% complete75=11RenfrewRenfrewshire, Scotland · 90% complete75=11LivingstonWest Lothian, Scotland · 85% complete75=11BoltonBolton, North West, England · 75% complete75=21Burton upon TrentEast Staffordshire, West Midlands, England · 100% complete74=21Chester-le-StreetCounty Durham, North East, England · 100% complete74=21GatesheadGateshead, North East, England · 100% complete74=21HartlepoolHartlepool, North East, England · 100% complete74=21PerthPerth and Kinross, Scotland · 100% complete74=21South ShieldsSouth Tyneside, North East, England · 100% complete74=21TamworthTamworth, West Midlands, England · 100% complete74=21MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough, North East, England · 95% complete74=21Newton AycliffeCounty Durham, North East, England · 95% complete74=21Whitley BayNorth Tyneside, North East, England · 95% complete74=21BeverleyEast Riding of Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber, England · 90% complete74=21GalashielsScottish Borders, Scotland · 90% complete74=21GloucesterGloucester, South West, England · 90% complete74=21IrvineNorth Ayrshire, Scotland · 90% complete74=21LeylandSouth Ribble, North West, England · 90% complete74=21MorecambeLancaster, North West, England · 90% complete74=21OrmskirkWest Lancashire, North West, England · 90% complete74=21PlymouthPlymouth, South West, England · 90% complete74=21RuncornHalton, North West, England · 90% complete74=21BridlingtonEast Riding of Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber, England · 85% complete74=21CannockCannock Chase, West Midlands, England · 85% complete74=21WiganWigan, North West, England · 75% complete74=43BarnsleyBarnsley, Yorkshire and The Humber, England · 100% complete73=43Bishop AucklandCounty Durham, North East, England · 100% complete73=43DoncasterDoncaster, Yorkshire and The Humber, England · 100% complete73=43MansfieldMansfield, East Midlands, England · 100% complete73=43Melton MowbrayMelton, East Midlands, England · 100% complete73=43North ShieldsNorth Tyneside, North East, England · 100% complete73=43SeahamCounty Durham, North East, England · 100% complete73=43BangorGwynedd, Wales · 95% complete73

Best in Scotland

=1CoatbridgeNorth Lanarkshire, Scotland77=1AirdrieNorth Lanarkshire, Scotland77=1FalkirkFalkirk, Scotland77=4StranraerDumfries and Galloway, Scotland76=4PaisleyRenfrewshire, Scotland76=6RenfrewRenfrewshire, Scotland75=6LivingstonWest Lothian, Scotland75=8PerthPerth and Kinross, Scotland74=8GalashielsScottish Borders, Scotland74=8IrvineNorth Ayrshire, Scotland74

Best in England

=1DarlingtonDarlington, North East, England77=1ChorleyChorley, North West, England77=3SunderlandSunderland, North East, England76=3LancasterLancaster, North West, England76=3Stoke-on-TrentStoke-on-Trent, West Midlands, England76=6BostonBoston, East Midlands, England75=6ChesterfieldChesterfield, East Midlands, England75=6IlkestonErewash, East Midlands, England75=6Stockton-on-TeesStockton-on-Tees, North East, England75=6DurhamCounty Durham, North East, England75

Best in Wales

1BridgendBridgend, Wales752BangorGwynedd, Wales73=3MaestegBridgend, Wales72=3Old CwmbranTorfaen, Wales72=3PrestatynDenbighshire, Wales72=3LlanelliCarmarthenshire, Wales72=3Port TalbotNeath Port Talbot, Wales72=3RhylDenbighshire, Wales72=9BarryVale of Glamorgan, Wales71=9NewportNewport, Wales71

Ranked from 539 indexed areas by TrackPostcode.UK scores. Coverage grows as more areas are indexed.

About this ranking

How are the best places to live ranked?

Each area is scored from 0 to 100 across twelve categories from open government data, weighted and combined into one overall score. Places are then ranked by that overall score. Every figure links to its public source. Right now the highest are Darlington (77/100), Chorley (77/100), Coatbridge (77/100).

Is this ranking based on opinion?

No. It is built only from published datasets - ONS, HM Land Registry, police.uk, the Met Office, Ofcom and others - using a scoring method we publish in full. Nothing is editorial or sponsored.

How often does the ranking update?

The area index rebuilds daily from the latest available data, so rankings move as new house prices, crime figures and other statistics are published.

Every ranking

Best places for remote workersBest places for familiesBest places for studentsBest places for retirementBest places under £200,000Most affordable placesCheapest places to liveSafest placesSunniest placesBest weatherFastest broadbandCleanest airBest places for jobsBest transport linksMost to doBest healthcare access

The same index ordered by a different measurement each time, from the same twelve category scores and rebuilt daily. Each one states on its own page what it measures and what it does not.

Read next: the most affordable places to live, the safest places to live, the sunniest places in the UK, the relocation quiz and how every score is built.

What this ranking measures: Overall score: all twelve categories, weighted and renormalised over whatever data exists for each area. Read the full methodology before quoting a figure.

Primary sources: Office for National Statistics, HM Land Registry, police.uk and Met Office HadUK-Grid 1 km climate data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.