Kingston upon Thames has been named as the third happiest place to live in London, according to an annual survey by Rightmove.
The borough has dropped down once place in the ranking this year after finishing in second place in 2019. Kensington and Chelsea now occupies this position.
The survey named neighbouring Richmond upon Thames as London’s happiest place to live for the sixth consecutive year. Richmond was also named the 10th best place to live in Britain overall.
In a year where we valued our green spaces perhaps more than ever before, it is no surprise that the leafy London suburbs came out on top.
“I think lockdown has enabled people to rediscover what’s on their doorstep, and spending more time in their local areas has made people value their surroundings and communities so much more,” said Tim Bannister, data property expert at Rightmove.
“This year’s study shows a greater appreciation for green spaces and nature, and a strong correlation between people living in coastal and rural areas and how happy people are where they live.”
Survey respondents were asked to explain how they feel about their local area and rank ten happiness factors, including whether they feel a sense of community spirit and if locals are friendly.
Lockdown made us appreciate our local community
Responses from over 21,000 people across Britain were collected, and 36 per cent said that spending more time at home during the lockdown period made them like their area more.
The survey also found that more than half of people looking to buy or rent a property in the next year are now placing greater importance on how accessible green spaces are when deciding where to live.
Waltham Forest and Bromley were named the fourth and fifth happiest places to live in London respectively.
Meanwhile, Cornish coastal town St Ives was named the happiest place to live in Britain overall.
