Skipton named UK's happiest place to live in Rightmove index

In December 2025, the property portal Rightmove published the latest edition of its annual Happy at Home index. The ranking is based on how residents rate their own homes and the areas where they live, and it is meant to show where people feel most content rather than where housing is cheapest or most prestigious.

Skipton, a market town in North Yorkshire often described as the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales, came first in the 2025 ranking and was named the happiest place to live in the UK. Richmond upon Thames, a borough in south-west London known for its parks and riverside setting, placed second.

The result drew attention because the two places differ sharply. Skipton is a smaller northern town with comparatively modest property prices, while Richmond upon Thames is one of the most expensive parts of the capital. The index therefore fed a wider debate about whether happiness with where you live depends on affordability, green space, community or local amenities. It also set the baseline against which later editions of the index, and the place of Richmond upon Thames within them, have been judged.