Towns and cities in Scotland rank particularly high in the Quality of Life Index 2015
The best and worst places to live in the UK, ranked by quality of life - Telegraph
The best and worst places to live in the UK, ranked by quality of life - Telegraph
The best and worst places to live in the UK, ranked by quality of life - Telegraph
Edinburgh has been named the best place to live in the UK, based on low crime rates, affordable living costs, high salaries and fast broadband.
The Scottish capital has a high average salary of £29,588, high disposable household income at £20,083, and faster-than-average broadband download speeds of 30Mbs.
Bradford and Hull are ranked the worst places, let down by low disposable income, low employment, high rent and crowded schools, according to uSwitch's Quality of Life Index 2015.
Residents in Bradford have lower-than-average disposable incomes Photo: Flickr/Tim Green/@atoach
According to the report, people in Bradford have the lowest gross disposable household incomes at £13,654 a year. Adding to the financial strain, they also pay among the highest average weekly rents at £92.60.
The city, in West Yorkshire, also suffers from crowded primary schools, and just 44pc of pupils achieved five GCSEs at A-C grades, said uSwitch.
However, residents benefit from costs of essentials such as energy, food and council tax, as well as cheaper house prices, with the average cost of a terraced house at £91,000, according to Rightmove.
Top 10 places to live
Edinburgh
Solihull
Hertfordshire
Northumberland
South Lanarkshire
Berkshire
Darlington
North Lanarkshire
York
Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire & Renfrewshire
Scotland as a whole performed particularly well, with Lanarkshire, Inverclyde and Renfrewshire among the top 10.
The report assessed 138 local areas taking into account 26 factors to provide a complete picture of the quality of life in each region.
These included average salaries, disposable household income and the cost of essential goods such as fuel, food and energy bills, as well as lifestyle factors such as working hours, life expectancy and hours of sunshine.
Britain's best islands
Just 15pc of people in the Orkney Islands work more than 45 hours a week Photo: Alamy
The researchers found that one in four people in west London work more than 45 hours a week, compared to 15pc in the Orkney Islands.
However west Londoners are paid the most, compensating for the long hours. Average full-time salaries in the area are £35,464. And with an average annual gross disposable household income of £39,602, west Londoners are more than three times better off than households in Leicester and Nottingham, where average disposable incomes in each of the cities are just above £11,700.
Women in Buckinghamshire live the longest, as do men in Surrey – while Glaswegians have the shortest life expectancy.
Glasgow has long had a higher deprivation level than other large cities in the UK. The Scottish city has a life expectancy of 73.4 for men and 78.7 for women, according to official figures published separately this month. This compares to a UK-wide average of 79.1 for men and 82.4 for women.
Glasgow has reinvented itself as a city of culture, but still has the lowest life expectancy in the UK Photo: AP
Nottingham pays the most in council tax at £1,676 a year, despite having the second lowest disposable income in the UK. Belfast pays the lowest rate of council tax at £819 a year.
Energy bills are lowest in Scotland and highest in Northern Ireland, said uSwitch.
The disposable incomes of households in Northern Ireland are just half of those in Britain. According to a separate report by the CEBR, families in Northern Ireland have £97 left each week once essential items and bills have been paid for. This compares to £192 in the UK as a whole.
Average salaries in Northern Ireland are also £18,764 compared to a UK average of £22,044.
The 10 'worst' places to live
Bradford
Kingston Upon Hull
North of Northern Ireland
Eilean Siar (Western Isles)
West & South of Northern Ireland
Blackpool
Devon
Central Valleys
East of Northern Ireland
South Teesside
Edinburgh has been named the best place to live in the UK, based on low crime rates, affordable living costs, high salaries and fast broadband.
The Scottish capital has a high average salary of £29,588, high disposable household income at £20,083, and faster-than-average broadband download speeds of 30Mbs.
Bradford and Hull are ranked the worst places, let down by low disposable income, low employment, high rent and crowded schools, according to uSwitch's Quality of Life Index 2015.
Residents in Bradford have lower-than-average disposable incomes Photo: Flickr/Tim Green/@atoach
According to the report, people in Bradford have the lowest gross disposable household incomes at £13,654 a year. Adding to the financial strain, they also pay among the highest average weekly rents at £92.60.
The city, in West Yorkshire, also suffers from crowded primary schools, and just 44pc of pupils achieved five GCSEs at A-C grades, said uSwitch.
However, residents benefit from costs of essentials such as energy, food and council tax, as well as cheaper house prices, with the average cost of a terraced house at £91,000, according to Rightmove.
Top 10 places to live
Edinburgh
Solihull
Hertfordshire
Northumberland
South Lanarkshire
Berkshire
Darlington
North Lanarkshire
York
Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire & Renfrewshire
Scotland as a whole performed particularly well, with Lanarkshire, Inverclyde and Renfrewshire among the top 10.
The report assessed 138 local areas taking into account 26 factors to provide a complete picture of the quality of life in each region.
These included average salaries, disposable household income and the cost of essential goods such as fuel, food and energy bills, as well as lifestyle factors such as working hours, life expectancy and hours of sunshine.
Britain's best islands
Just 15pc of people in the Orkney Islands work more than 45 hours a week Photo: Alamy
The researchers found that one in four people in west London work more than 45 hours a week, compared to 15pc in the Orkney Islands.
However west Londoners are paid the most, compensating for the long hours. Average full-time salaries in the area are £35,464. And with an average annual gross disposable household income of £39,602, west Londoners are more than three times better off than households in Leicester and Nottingham, where average disposable incomes in each of the cities are just above £11,700.
Women in Buckinghamshire live the longest, as do men in Surrey – while Glaswegians have the shortest life expectancy.
Glasgow has long had a higher deprivation level than other large cities in the UK. The Scottish city has a life expectancy of 73.4 for men and 78.7 for women, according to official figures published separately this month. This compares to a UK-wide average of 79.1 for men and 82.4 for women.
Glasgow has reinvented itself as a city of culture, but still has the lowest life expectancy in the UK Photo: AP
Nottingham pays the most in council tax at £1,676 a year, despite having the second lowest disposable income in the UK. Belfast pays the lowest rate of council tax at £819 a year.
Energy bills are lowest in Scotland and highest in Northern Ireland, said uSwitch.
The disposable incomes of households in Northern Ireland are just half of those in Britain. According to a separate report by the CEBR, families in Northern Ireland have £97 left each week once essential items and bills have been paid for. This compares to £192 in the UK as a whole.
Average salaries in Northern Ireland are also £18,764 compared to a UK average of £22,044.
The 10 'worst' places to live
Bradford
Kingston Upon Hull
North of Northern Ireland
Eilean Siar (Western Isles)
West & South of Northern Ireland
Blackpool
Devon
Central Valleys
East of Northern Ireland
South Teesside
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