Britain’s most desirable places to live in 2026: Sheffield among best cities in the country

By Gbam Godwin On Feb 20, 2026

Britain’s most desirable places to live in 2026: Sheffield among best cities in the country.

New research by the property information portal. Using data from the Home Office and Tripadvisor, Property Buyers Today constructed five categories. These include a culture score (based on shopping and nightlife), a green score (based on the count and rating of nature and parks), a housing score (based on housing affordability), a utility score (based on energy and gas), and a violent crime score (based on the annual increase or decrease in reported incidents).

The five categories were assigned a score out of 100, which contributed to the final index score. The locations with the highest final index score were named the most attractive places to live in the UK.

Sheffield is ranked 12th overall for the greatest places to live in 2026. The city of South Yorkshire has a culture score of 61.93 out of 100, indicating a variety of leisure activities and community attractions.

It also has a green score of 61.61 out of 100, a solid housing score of 66.69, and a utilities score of 66.99, indicating rather good living circumstances in terms of infrastructure and affordability. These characteristics contribute to a final index score of 62.30 out of 100, which puts Sheffield well above the national average of 50.90.

York is ranked as the top place to live in 2026. Yorkshire’s local authority has a culture score of 78.36 out of 100, with a 4.75 out of 5 rating for fun and games like family-friendly miniature golf and the prestigious York Racecourse.

There are also 43 nature and park settings, including Rowntree Park and Museum Gardens, for a green score of 100 out of 100. These factors result in a final index score of 70.75 out of 100, 38.9% higher than the national average of 50.90.

Nottingham is the second-most attractive location to live, with a final index score of 69.48 out of 100, 36.5% higher than the national average. The East Midlands-based local authority has a utilities score of 80.98 out of 100, with an average power price of 23.91p per kWh, which is 3% lower than the national average.

Nottingham likewise has a housing score of 63.59 out of 100, with the average house price per square metre being £2,553.53, 23.4% lower than the national average of £3,337.37.

Blackpool now ranks third.Based in Lancashire, the local authority has 27 concerts and entertainment attractions for residents to enjoy, 18 more than the national average, for a cultural score of 77.36 out of 100.

Violent crime is likewise dropping at a rate of 0.04 in the local authority, as opposed to a 0.06 increase in Swansea, for example. These characteristics contribute to a final index score of 68.61 out of 100, 34.7% higher than the national average.

The survey ranked Edinburgh as the fourth-most desirable place to live in Britain, with a final index score of 67.93 out of 100, 33.4% higher than the national average.

The local authority’s average petrol price per kWh is 0.8% lower than the national average, at 6.18p per kWh, resulting in a utilities score of 69.27 out of 100. Additionally, Edinburgh has 50 nature and park attractions, including Arthur’s Seat and Calton Hill, which is 85.1% higher than the national average of 27.

Newcastle upon Tyne is the fifth-best place to live in 2026, scoring 66.07 out of 100, 29.8% higher than the national average. The local authority’s housing score is 79.31 out of 100, with the average price of housing per square metre being £2,358.50, which is 29.3% higher than the national average.

Furthermore, Newcastle has a median energy efficiency score of 68, 0.6% higher than the national average, yielding a utility score of 72.58 out of 100.

Saif Derzi, founder of Property Buyers Today, discussed the findings:

“Choosing where to live is about more than simply property pricing; there are other elements that contribute to living in a desirable neighbourhood. Fortunately, this extensive analysis takes all of these factors into account to determine the greatest places to live in the UK.

“This research shows that desirability varies significantly across the UK, with northern cities like York and Blackpool performing strongly due to their combination of a wide variety of cultural amenities and affordable housing.”