We call this uSwitch's Best Places to Live in The UK Quality of Life Index, and the latest version uses data from 2015. We have compared the results with our league table of the best places to live from our 2013 version of the study, to show how quality of life has changed in every region in the last two years.
The Brighton and Hove statistical region is an area whose stats have changed reasonably significantly since 2013 – moving down 35 places to be exact, going from being the 74th best place to live for quality of life to the 109th in our 2015 study – not one of the biggest drops on our new table but still a substantial decline in quality of life in statistical terms.
Here are some of the Brighton and Hove region's statistics:
Employment
The employment rates in Brighton and Hove are fairly good, though not exceptional for the South East with 74% of the population in employment and 40% working normal full time hours of 35 to 45 hours per week.
A further 24% work what are considered too many hours for a good work life balance at 45 or more per week. This is about average for the UK but low for the South East of England.
Income
Incomes are very good in Brighton and Hove compared to the UK as a whole, but not especially high for the South East of England which is on the whole the part of the UK with the best incomes. The gross weekly income in 2015 for an average person in Brighton and Hove was £500.90.
House Prices
The price of buying a house in Brighton and Hove is high even by overall South East of England standards, at £276k. Rent is higher than average too at £81 per week.
Life Expectancy
Average life expectancy in Brighton and Hove is similar to overall averages for England and the UK as a whole at 79 for men and 83 for women.
Life expectancy is an influential factor that insurance companies use to determine life insurance premiums. You can check our advice guide on how to get a cheaper life insurance policy
Living Costs
The cost of living in Brighton and Hove is above average by overall UK standards, and even higher than places assumed to be expensive like Inner London – West and Surrey.
A weekly grocery shop for a Brighton and Hove household in 2015 cost £63. This is among the highest in the UK and matches other unusually expensive coastal places like Portsmouth and Southampton.
Other Important Factors
Technology in Brighton and Hove is as good as you might expect for a city in the South East of England, with average broadband speeds of a very high 33.3Mbps, and mobile phone coverage for 99% of the region.
Due to some negatives like high cost of living and rent compared even to the rest of the South East and London, Brighton and Hove is in the bottom portion of our table for UK quality of life.
More to life than rankings
At uSwitch, we know that there is more to life than rankings, stats and figures, and our Qualify of Life Index merely highlights the vast differences in the experiences of people across the UK.
Whether you're living in the best city or the worst, millions of households in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland face financial struggles including rising energy bills and credit card debt. That's why it's more important than ever for households to assess their budgets, and uSwitch.com offers a great way to start.
Below you can find ways to save on everything from car insurance to mobile bills.
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Place to Live 2015 — Where did your region rank?
About the research
The uSwitch.com study assessed 138 local areas (NUTS3 regions) for 26 factors such as salaries, disposable household income, and the cost of essential goods including food bills, fuel costs and energy bills. The study also factored in lifestyle issues like hours of sunshine, working hours and life expectancy to ensure a full picture of the quality of life in each NUTS3 region.
For more about the study's methodology, read the full press release .