Two North Yorkshire towns have been revealed as some of the happiest places to live in Great Britain for 2023.

Harrogate and Skipton have been featured in the Happy at Home Index published by Rightmove.

The index asked residents how they feel about their area and was completed this year by over 26,000 people based on happiness factors.

Some of the key trends that emerged from this year’s report included feeling a sense of pride, belonging and community among the factors most likely to contribute to feeling happy to live in an area, more than having access to things like public transport, schools and job opportunities.

@the.yorkshireman Nothing beats Harrogate in the autumn ❤️🍂 #harrogate #northyorkshire #yorkshire #yorkshirelife #thingstodoinyorkshire #harrogatetown ♬ My Love Mine All Mine - Mitski

The research also discovered around one in three (30%) think they would be happier living somewhere else, with the South West the most popular region this group aspires to move to.

It also found some of the most common reasons people want to move home are due to wanting to be happier or to move to a bigger home.

Overall, rural residents are happier than city residents, especially those living near a national park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (recently renamed National Landscapes).

You can see the full map and breakdown of each region here.

Great Britain's top 20 happiest places to live in 2023

Skipton’s average house asking price in 2023 was £259,692 and the average asking rent per calendar month was £875.

Meanwhile, Harrogate’s average house asking price during this year was £394,085 and the average asking rent per calendar month was £1,448.

The full list is below:

  1. Richmond-upon-Thames, London
  2. Winchester, Hampshire
  3. Monmouth, Monmouthshire
  4. Wokingham, Berkshire
  5. Cirencester, Gloucestershire
  6. Skipton, North Yorkshire
  7. Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
  8. Kensington and Chelsea, London
  9. St Ives, Cornwall
  10. Hexham, Northumberland
  11. Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
  12. Harrogate, North Yorkshire
  13. Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
  14. Kendal, Cumbria
  15. Galashiels, Scottish borders
  16. Weymouth, Dorset
  17. Woodbridge, Suffolk
  18. Anglesey, Wales
  19. St Albans, Hertfordshire
  20. Stourbridge, West Midlands
@the.yorkshireman The gateway to the Yorkshire Dales 😍 Skipton 📍 #skipton #yorkshiredales #thingstodoinskipton #yorkshirelife #thingstodoinyorkshire ♬ (Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding

Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s property expert said: “Searching for new areas outside of the city that are still commutable on office days and looking for cheaper properties that are in need of renovation are just some of the actions we’ve seen determined movers take this year.

“The results of this year’s study highlight that residents continue to value living near green spaces and natural beauty, features that became all the more important during the pandemic.

“With moving to an area that makes them happy a key motivator for people looking for their next home, highlighting these types of features nearby could really help sellers looking to appeal to potential buyers.”