Now in its 13th year, Rightmove has revealed its annual Happy at Home index with a number of Greater Manchester areas named some of the happiest places to live in the North West region. The index helps property experts understand what really makes the residents of some areas happier than others, as well as the things that make a place feel like home.
The survey measures how residents feel about their local area across 15 key happiness factors. These range from the sense of togetherness within the community and access to green spaces, to the feeling of belonging that a place fosters.
This year, over 35,000 people from towns, cities, and villages across Great Britain shared their thoughts about what matters most to them in their local areas. Using their scores, Rightmove compiled a list ranking the happiest places to live.
Based on the scores people gave their local areas, the property platform ranked the happiest places to live, generating a list of the top 25 areas within each geographical region of the UK as well as list of the top 20 happiest places in the UK all together. Of the top 20 happiest places in the UK overall, it was the town of Woodbridge in Suffolk that came in first place, followed by last year’s winner the Greater London area of Richmond-upon-Thames, then Hexham in the North East in third place.
Rising from just four areas last year to nine Greater Manchester areas featuring in the North West’s ranking for 2025, one town in particular performed particularly when it came to happiness. Unsurprisingly, the Trafford town of Altrincham (which has previously been named the‘best place to live’ by The Sunday Times) was once again ranked one of the happiest places to live in the region by Rightmove, just behind Kendal in Cumbria and Chorley in Lancashire. The Greater Manchester areas of Stockport, Bury and Wigan all appeared in the top 20 for the North West region, with Manchester itself coming in 18th place, up from 2oth place last year.
The 25 best places to live in the North West
| Place | Regional rank | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Kendal | 1 | 15 |
| Chorley | 2 | 17 |
| Altrincham | 3 | 29 |
| Chester | 4 | 34 |
| Macclesfield | 5 | 49 |
| Southport | 6 | 51 |
| Lancaster | 7 | 56 |
| Preston | 8 | 96 |
| Crewe | 9 | 104 |
| Stockport | 10 | 105 |
| Wirral | 11 | 109 |
| Carlisle | 12 | 112 |
| Northwich | 13 | 117 |
| Bury | 14 | 134 |
| Blackpool | 15 | 139 |
| Warrington | 16 | 141 |
| Wigan | 17 | 149 |
| Manchester | 18 | 154 |
| Burnley | 19 | 160 |
| Liverpool | 20 | 174 |
| Blackburn | 21 | 176 |
| Salford | 22 | 177 |
| Bolton | 23 | 197 |
| Oldham | 24 | 201 |
| Rochdale | 25 | 208 |
According to the Rightmove survey, it’s a mix of things that make people happy with where they live such as a welcoming community where you can truly be yourself; access to nature, such as local countryside, or National Parks; and practical things, like nearby schools, doctors, and shops. People living in Scotland, Wales, and the South West of England were the happiest overall, while on average, East and West Midlands residents didn’t score their areas as highly.
Discover the full Rightmove Happy at Home index here.