When you consider the whole of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, it is clear that there are a lot of differences in the places in different regions, and that quality of life is going to vary a lot depending on where you choose to locate yourself.
If you are currently looking to move and want to know where you can expect good quality of life right now, or you simply want to know how the place you live in now compares to other parts of the nation, then this study by uSwitch may be a useful resource for you.
uSwitch's Best Places to Live in The UK Quality of Life Index is the result of a full and detailed analysis of a wide range of data relating to quality of life in each of the 138 NUTS 3 statistical regions the UK is made up of. We have used data on everything from house prices and employment rates to classroom sizes and broadband speeds to find out where offered the best quality of life in 2015.
Gloucestershire is a region that has significantly slipped down in the rankings since 2013. It was originally in our top 10 best places to live, at number 7, however in the updated table using 2015 data it now slips down 48 places to number 55.
Here are some of the statistics for Gloucestershire:
Employment
Gloucestershire has above average employment statistics when compared to the rest of the UK, with 78% of its population in work. This is a good sign for quality of life, even for people who don't work themselves like retirees and students, because it indicates a prosperous region.
Income
While gross weekly income in Gloucestershire isn't especially high at £486.62 in 2015, the amount of disposable income households here have is very good, at £18,793 for the year.
House Prices
House prices are on the high side, though not exceptionally so for the South of England. The average Gloucestershire home sold for £210k in 2015.
Life Expectancy
Life expectancy in Gloucestershire is good, slightly above UK averages at 80 for males and 84 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 is fairly high by overall UK standards though not especially high for the South of England. A weekly grocery shop for a Gloucestershire household in 2015 cost £60. Petrol is above average, however, at 119p.
Other Important Factors
Gloucestershire's statistics for technology are fairly mediocre, with only 81% of the region receiving mobile phone signal (probably due to the region having significant rural areas), and average broadband speeds of an unremarkable 21.1Mbps.
Use our broadband postcode checker to see which deals and what speeds are on offer in your area.
These are just some of the statistics used in uSwitch's Best Places to Live in The UK Quality of Life Index for Gloucestershire, which ranked as our 55th best place to live in the UK.
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 .