East Herts named UK’s best place to live
East Herts - which includes Hertford - has beaten off stiff competition from local authority areas in Hampshire and Surrey to secure the top spot in Halifax's survey. Picture: DANNY LOO - Credit: Picture: DANNY LOO
East Herts is the best place to live in the UK, new research has revealed.
According to the latest Quality of Life survey from the Halifax, strong exam results and excellent health and happiness scores have combined to give the local authority area - which includes Hertford - top ranking.
In East Herts, 73.3 per cent of Year 11 pupils achieve a standard GCSE pass (grade 9-4) in English and Maths, compared to a UK-wide average of 64.5 per cent.
Residents also have a high life expectancy, with women typically living for 85 years and men for 82.5, two and three years respectively above the national average.
High average earnings - the 12th highest of any UK local authority - also helped East Herts secure the top spot.
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The 2020 Quality of Life research ranks local authorities across the UK on 26 different factors homebuyers may consider when choosing a place to live.
For the first time, it also takes into account the relative importance of these factors to house-hunters, with affordability and safety scoring especially high.
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Fareham and Hart in Hampshire followed close behind the home of Ware, Bishop's Stortford, Tewin and Buntingford, with Horsham, Surrey and Maldon, Essex completing the top five.
Suzanne Hitcham, Halifax mortgage advisor, Bishop's Stortford said: "I meet so many people looking to move here, from professionals wanting a reasonable commute into London, to young families buying a home near one of our many excellent schools, or people whose work or business brings them here.
"For me, it's the mix of town and country that makes East Hertfordshire a great place to live."
