If you are interested in knowing where in the UK the best places to live currently are, then you may find uSwitch's Best Places to Live in The UK Quality of Life Index an interesting study.
We have analysed all of the 138 statistical regions of the United Kingdom for a wide range of factors relating to quality of life, and created an index based on this that allows us to rank the regions from best to worst.
We previously did this study in 2013, so now we are able to compare our 2013 league table with new rankings based on 2015 data, and see how places have changed across the UK in that time.
The statistical region of Greater Manchester South in the North West of England is one that has moved a lot since 2013, and unfortunately, in the wrong direction.
It has dropped 42 places, going from number 58 on our list for 2013 to 100th when 2015 data was used.
Here are some of the statistics we used in our 2015 research for Greater Manchester South:
Employment
Greater Manchester South has fairly poor overall employment rates, with 62% of people living in Greater Manchester South having a job.
48% of the population of Lincolnshire in 2015 were working normal full time hours of 35-45 hours a week, which is above average, however.
Employment rates in the North West of England are low on average, with Liverpool having the worst overall employment overall in the UK at 59%, meaning that Greater Manchester South actually doesn't perform as badly as it seems on a local level.
Income
The average gross weekly income in 2015 for Greater Manchester South is not bad, at £487.60. Household annual disposable income is however much lower than average at £14,736.
House Prices
House prices are moderately low in the statistical region of Greater Manchester South, with the average house in 2015 costing £150,298.
Life Expectancy
The average life expectancy for both men and women is a little below average for England in Greater Manchester South – particularly 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.
Male life expectancy here is 78, and female life expectancy is 81. Most places have women living four years longer than men, but in Greater Manchester South it is only three.
Most places have women living four years longer than men, but in Greater Manchester South it is only three.
Living Costs
The cost of food is below the averages for the whole of the UK at £53 for a weekly household grocery shop.
Petrol is in line with UK average prices in Greater Manchester South at 117p. Car insurance is among the highest in the UK at £561.60, however.
Other Important Factors
Greater Manchester South has very good services for communication technology, with high average broadband speeds of 27.2Mbps, and a full 99% of the area counted as part of the Greater Manchester South statistical region getting mobile phone signal.
Use our broadband postcode checker to see which deals and what speeds are on offer in your area.
Due to some negatives like high unemployment, Greater Manchester South is in the bottom portion of our table for UK quality of life and has slipped down a long way since 2013.
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 .