Do you live in Shropshire's happiest town? New list reveals the county's cheeriest places to live

In its annual Happy Home Index 2023, online estate agents Rightmove asked 26,000 people across Great Britain how they feel about where they reside.

The London borough of Richmond upon Thames in London was crowned the happiest place to live by those that live there – the first time an area in the capital has taken the top spot.

The city of Winchester in Hampshire was second, and Monmouth in Wales third.

Stourbridge was named as the happiest place to live in the West Midlands and also the 20th happiest place overall in the UK.

However, two Shropshire towns also made the annual Rightmove Happy Home Index.

According to the survey, Shrewsbury is Shropshire's happiest town.

The county town is also the sixth happiest place in the West Midlands, with only Stourbridge, Leamington Spa, Worcester, Hereford and Stratford-upon-Avon ahead of it on the list.

Shrewsbury was also named as the 67th happiest town in the UK to live.

Also making the grade is Telford, named by Rightmove as the tenth happiest town in the West Midlands and the 107th happiest place in Great Britain.

To compile the index Rightmove quizzed residents in the county on the availability of amenities like shops and restaurants and facilities such as doctors and schools, but the online estate agent said the results of this year’s study showed that the most important contributors to happiness were feeling a sense of pride, belonging and community.

Access to green space and nature is also important to residents, with those living in a rural area near a national park, or a National Landscape (formerly an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), more likely to feel happy where they live.

This year, for the first time, people were also asked whether they thought they might be happier if they moved to to somewhere else in Great Britain.

And around one in three (30 per cent) of residents who responded to the survey said they thought they would be happier living in a different area.

Property expert at Rightmove, Tim Bannister, said: “Searching for new areas outside of the city that are still commutable on office days and looking for cheaper properties that are in need of renovation are just some of the actions we’ve seen determined movers take this year.

"With the results of this year’s study highlighting that residents continue to value living near green spaces and natural beauty, estate agents who are not already doing so should consider making sure that they clearly highlight nearby green spots to appeal to potential buyers.”