The prestigious lifestyle website Muddy Stilettos has unveiled its highly anticipated guide to the best places to live in the UK for 2026, with several West Midlands locations making the coveted list.
The Top Picks for 2026
In its annual Top 260 Places to Live series, which scrutinises 30 different counties and regions, experts from Muddy Stilettos have identified the eight standout neighbourhoods in the West Midlands. The selection process weighed numerous factors crucial for a high quality of life, including the quality of local schools, cultural offerings, and shopping facilities.
Birmingham Neighbourhoods Dominate the List
Birmingham's vibrant districts feature prominently, taking three of the top spots. Topping the list is the historic Jewellery Quarter. The guide praises its transformation from a specialist shopping destination into one of the country's most desirable residential areas.
It highlights the area's Michelin-starred restaurants, quirky museums, and cool cocktail bars, all located just minutes from the city centre. Excellent transport links, including a dedicated Midlands Metro tram stop and regular bus services, add to its appeal. Major regeneration continues to boost the area, notably the upcoming £125 million, 400-home plan for St Paul's Quarter.
In second place is the creative hub of Digbeth, recently voted the 'coolest neighbourhood in the UK'. The guide describes it as the beating heart of Birmingham, characterised by brutalist industrial buildings and winding canals.
Culture and nightlife are at the forefront here, with almost every type of indoor entertainment available in converted historic warehouses, many surrounding the famous former Birds Custard factory.
Coventry and Edgbaston Shine
Beyond Birmingham, Earlsdon in Coventry also earns a prestigious ranking. The guide celebrates Coventry as a vibrant, multicultural, and youthful city, home to two top universities: Coventry and the University of Warwick.
Notable for its Fifties brutalist architecture and its history as the birthplace of 2-Tone ska bands like The Specials, the area also boasts scenic and prestigious tree-lined avenues such as Kenilworth Road, complete with a dedicated cycle path.
Back in Birmingham, Edgbaston secures its place on the list. While internationally recognised for the Edgbaston Cricket Club and the historic Priory Club, the guide emphasises there is much more to this area.
It is also home to beautiful botanical gardens, multiple top-rated schools, an abundance of Michelin-starred restaurants, two universities, and remains just a stone's throw from the city centre.
The full Muddy Stilettos guide offers an in-depth look at what makes these eight West Midlands neighbourhoods the prime destinations for anyone considering a move in 2026.
