A major new study has laid bare a significant happiness gap across the Midlands, with picturesque towns celebrating top rankings while several of the region's biggest cities languish near the bottom of a national list.
Historic Towns Triumph in National Rankings
The findings from Rightmove's 2025 'Happy at Home' Index crown Leamington Spa as the happiest place to live in the Midlands. The Warwickshire spa town also achieved an impressive 12th place nationally, with locals highlighting its abundant green spaces and palpable community spirit.
Close behind is the cathedral city of Lichfield, securing 13th place in Britain. Residents there value its historic charm, walkable centre, and a generally calm pace of life. The region showed strong representation in the national top 50, with Stratford-upon-Avon (28th), Shrewsbury (32nd), Tamworth (33rd), and Worcester (38th) all making the coveted list.
Urban Centres Face Happiness Challenge
In stark contrast, the report delivers sobering news for some major urban hubs. Walsall was identified as the most "gloomy" location in the Midlands, ranking a lowly 216th out of 220 locations across Great Britain. Only four places in the entire country recorded lower resident satisfaction.
The region's largest cities also featured in the national bottom 20 for happiness. Birmingham ranked 209th, with Dudley at 201st and Wolverhampton at 200th. The index measures happiness based on key factors including a sense of belonging, access to green space and nature, the quality of local services, and the freedom to "be yourself".
National Trends and What Drives Contentment
Nationally, the market town of Skipton in North Yorkshire was named the happiest place to live in Great Britain for 2025. The study revealed clear demographic and geographic trends: residents aged 65 and over were generally the most content, while those aged 18 to 24 were the least likely to praise their hometowns.
Furthermore, people living in rural areas reported higher average happiness than those in urban or suburban settings. Proximity to protected landscapes like National Parks or National Landscapes (formerly Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) was a major contributor to high scores.
Despite the low rankings for some areas, the research noted a positive broader trend: across Britain, more people are happy than unhappy with where they live. The margins between many ranked locations remain small, indicating a general stability in communities nationwide.
