Residents of the picturesque county of Rutland can lay claim to having the highest standards of living in rural Britain, after it was declared the country's best rural place to live
The sleepy county of Rutland in the East Midlands countryside has been named as the best rural place to live in Britain.
Residents' good health, rate of employment and weather were among the many factors taken into account by the annual Halifax Rural Areas Quality of Life Survey, which saw Rutland named as the rural idyll for the first time.
Over 96 per cent of residents reported good or fairly good health, while weekly earnings averaged a high £626. The county also enjoys one of the lowest crime rates in the country, less rainfall per year than the national average and an adult population which is among the most happy, satisfied and content in Britain, according to the ONS survey on national well-being.
However, all that satisfaction comes at a price, with average house prices in Rutland 6.7 times the average annual pre-tax local income, compared to the national average of 6.2.
Chiltern in Buckinghamshire was named as the second most desirable location to live, followed by Uttlesford in Essex.
The south east dominated the top 50 list, totalling a number of 14 spots. The east of England was in second place with 10 entries.
Southern areas tend to receive higher ratings for weekly earnings, the weather, health, and life expectancy. Northern areas score well on education in terms of grades and smaller class sizes, lower house prices in relation to earnings, and both lower traffic flows and population densities, the survey found.
Craig McKinlay, mortgages director at Halifax said Rutland residents can lay claim to having the highest standard of living in rural Britain.
"In terms of personal wellbeing and general good health, Rutland residents score among the highest in Great Britain," he said. "And while house prices relative to earnings are above the rural average, Rutland still performs strongly in terms of average weekly earnings and a high employment rate."
2015 Halifax Quality of Life Rankings – the top 50 areas based on annual data
- 1. Rutland, East Midlands
- 2. Chiltern, South East
- 3. Uttlesford, East of England
- 4. South Northamptonshire, East Midlands
- 5. Rushcliffe, East Midlands
- 6. Waverley, South East
- 7. South Cambridgeshire, East of England
- 8. Mid Sussex, South East
- 9. Huntingdonshire, East of England
- 10. South Oxfordshire, South East
- 11. Babergh, East of England
- 12. East Hertfordshire, East of England
- 13. West Oxfordshire, South East
- 14. South Kesteven, East Midlands
- 15. East Cambridgeshire, East of England
- 16. North Kesteven, East Midlands
- 17. Aylesbury Vale, South East
- 18. Tonbridge and Malling, South East
- 19. Wealden, South East
- 20. Mid Suffolk, East of England
- 21. Orkney Islands, Scotland
- 22. Hambleton, Yorkshire and The Humber
- 23. Richmondshire, Yorkshire and The Humber
- 24. Selby, Yorkshire and The Humber
- 25. Malvern Hills, West Midlands
- 26. Harborough, East Midlands
- 27. New Forest, South East
- 28. Vale of White Horse, South East
- 29. Wychavon, West Midlands
- 30. Tewkesbury, South West
- 31. South Derbyshire, East Midlands
- 32. St Edmundsbury, East of England
- 33. Tandridge, South East
- 34. South Staffordshire, West Midlands
- 35. South Norfolk, East of England
- 36. Ryedale, Yorkshire and The Humber
- 37. Test Valley, South East
- 38. West Berkshire, South East
- 39. East Riding of Yorkshire, Yorkshire and The Humber
- 40. Shetland Islands, Scotland
- 41. Cherwell, South East
- 42. Suffolk Coastal, East of England
- 43. Cotswold, South West
- 44. North Dorset, SOuth West
- 45. Wiltshire, South West
- 46. Monmouthshire, Wales
- 47. East Dorset, South West
- 48. Newark and Sherwood, East Midlands
- 49. Aberdeenshire, Scotland
- 50. Herefordshire, West Midlands
