Rightmove names Britain’s happiest places to live in 2026 - see where Peterborough ranks
The city was named as the 20th happiest place to live in the East of England
Online real estate company Rightmove has named Britain’s happiest places to live in 2026, with Peterborough included in the list.
The city was named in Rightmove’s 15th annual Happy at Home Index, which surveys more than 24,000 residents across 221 locations.
Respondents rated how happy they feel about where they live, scoring factors such as access to nature and green spaces, local services, amenities and employment opportunities out of 10.
Scores of 7 to 10 were classed as happy, 1 to 4 as unhappy, and 5 or 6 as neither happy nor unhappy.
Overall, 81% of respondents said they were happy with where they live, 9% said they were unhappy, and 10% were indifferent.
Peterborough was ranked as the 20th happiest place to live in the East of England and 202nd across Britain as a whole.
The city finished higher than Southend on Sea, Clacton on Sea and Luton in the East of England rankings.
Nationally, Richmond upon Thames was named the happiest place to live, pipping Harrogate to the crown.
According to Rightmove, house prices in Peterborough have an overall average of £249,562 over the last year.
Here are Britain’s happiest places to live in 2026, according to Rightmove, with the average asking price for a home and the average asking rent per month:
1. Richmond upon Thames, London, £1,021,256, £3,298
2. Harrogate, Yorkshire and the Humber, £395,776, £1,750
3. Cirencester, South West, £407,368, £1,633
4. Monmouth, Wales, £366,782, £1,395
5. Hove, South East, £476,115, £2,086
6. Chorley, North West, £234,387, £1,011
7. Skipton, Yorkshire and the Humber, £304,033, £1,110
8. Llandrindod Wells, Wales, £234,417, £531
9. Horsham, South East, £470,577, £1,933
10. Hexham, North East, £317,332, £1,329
And here are the happiest places to live within the East of England, alongside their ranking overall across Britain:
1. Woodbridge (15)
2. St Albans (16)
3. Norwich (49)
4. Ely (54)
5. Hemel Hempstead (61)
6. Bury St Edmunds (71)
7. Bedford (81)
8. Hitchin (88)
9. Cambridge (90)
10. Huntingdon (91)
11. Chelmsford (102)
12. Leigh on Sea (114)
13. Colchester (144)
14. Ipswich (146)
15. Bishop’s Stortford (157)
16. Hertford (160)
17. Watford (170)
18. Stevenage (171)
19. Basildon (200)
20. Peterborough (202)
21. Southend on Sea (203)
22. Luton (208)
23. Clacton on Sea (216)