Richmond tops Rightmove’s 2026 happiness index

Rightmove’s 2026 Happy at Home Index ranked Richmond upon Thames as Britain’s happiest place to live, with Harrogate second and Skipton seventh. The results come from the property website’s 15th annual survey, which received responses from more than 24,000 people.

Richmond, a borough in south-west London, returned to first place after topping the index in 2023 and ranking second last year. Rightmove said it scored highly on measures including access to nature and green spaces, local services, shops and restaurants, employment opportunities and residents’ pride in their area.

Harrogate, in North Yorkshire, placed second, followed by Cirencester in Gloucestershire. Skipton, last year’s top-ranked location, came seventh. Monmouth was the highest-ranked place in Wales, while Kirkcaldy led the Scottish rankings. Hexham, in Northumberland, was 10th nationally and the highest-ranked location in the North East.

Across Britain, 81% of survey participants said they were happy with where they lived, according to Rightmove. The company said Harrogate performed strongly for access to nature and for residents’ agreement with the statement “I can be myself.”

The index also reported average...