Happy? You are if you’re in Taunton: Town crowned happiest place to live in the South West

Taunton has been voted the happiest place to live in the South West in the Rightmove Happy at Home Index

The town ranks third overall in Great Britain, with high scores in neighbourliness, décor and pride all helping it win the regional crown

The Happy at Home Index asks residents to rate their local area on 12 distinct factors which are then combined to describe the ‘overall’ happiness of more than 100 places across the country

Taunton has been voted the happiest place to live in the South West, after nearly 50,000 people across Great Britain were asked to rank how happy they feel in their homes and communities.

Nationally, the town comes third overall out of 111 places, with the Index painting a picture of it as a place where people look after their homes and have time for their neighbours.

While Taunton scored highly overall, a few of the factors that rank higher elsewhere in the region included the cost of running a home – Dorchester comes out top for local residents worrying the least about this –  and amenities, which was voted top in Bournemouth.

You can find out how the other places in the South West and the rest of Great Britain fared by using our Happy at Home microsite available at: rightmove.co.uk/news/happy-at-home

Chris Willey of Wilsons Estate Agents in Taunton comments:

“I’m not surprised Taunton has been ranked the happiest town in the South West and number 3 in the country.  Nowhere is perfect, but by virtue of our geographical position equidistant between London and Land’s End, when people come here, it’s so well placed they often stay here, and stability surely contributes towards happiness. The town also rests in a valley, surrounded by magnificent hill ranges between the south coast and the Bristol Channel. We have excellent schools, a marvellous hospital and good shops. With all that – and much more – how could we not be so happy?!”

We have created some limited edition ‘We Love Taunton’ stickers so you can show your support for your town’s win. If you would like to request one please fill in the form here.