A new report into the best and worst places to live in the UK may come in handy for the 8000 New Zealanders relocating to the UK each year.
While London is a popular destination, the Quality of Life index from UK independent price comparison and switching service, uSwitch.com, list Solihull as a far better place to live.
Located nine miles outside of Birmingham, Solihull has a high disposable income, high life expectancy and fast broadband speeds. While residents of this region pay more for houses and face higher bills, these costs are outweighed by comfortable average salaries of £27,435 a year and relatively high levels of disposable income, which sit at £17,359 annually.
The uSwitch.com study assessed 138 local areas for 24 different factors including salaries, disposable household income and the cost of essential goods, such as fuel, food and energy bills, as well as lifestyle factors such as working hours, life expectancy and hours of sunshine, to provide a complete picture of the quality of life in each region.
The study found that while west London was named the richest region by far – with levels of disposable income three times as much as Nottingham – it was also the most dangerous. Northumberland, in the country’s north, was named the safest.
Scottish regions dominate the bottom of the index with East and North Ayrshire officially the worst places to live – let down by low income, poor exam results and fewer hours of sunshine. In this area, the average salary is £24,242 a year, leaving a disposable income of £14,430 per year – 17% less than the Silhillians. Their life expectancy is lower (with men living until 75 and women living until 80), there is a lower employment rate and broadband speeds of just 8Mb, twice as slow as Solihull. Exam results are relatively poor and the regions experience less sunshine than the rest of the country.
The top ten places to live in the UK
- Solihull
- North Yorkshire
- Hertfordshire
- South Nottinghamshire
- Surrey
- Warwickshire
- Gloucestershire
- Northumberland
- Berkshire
- Oxfordshire
The worst ten places to live in the UK
- East and North Ayrshire
- Scottish Borders
- Lochaber, Skye & Lochalsh, Arran & Cumbrae and Argyll & Bute
- Glasgow
- Caithness & Sutherland and Ross & Cromarty
- Clackmannanshire and Fife
- Inverness & Nairn and Moray, Badenoch & Strathspey
- Angus and Dundee City
- Kingston-upon-Hull
- Conwy and Denbighshire
For the New Zealanders looking at moving to Solihull and other regions in the UK’s top ten list, Grace Removals can guarantee a stress free experience. We pride ourselves on excellent customer service and work closely with our UK partner, Doree Bonner, to ensure our customers get the perfect relocation experience from start to finish.
