To help with this challenge, we have created uSwitch's Best Places to Live in The UK Quality of Life Index – a listing of the 138 statistical regions of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland ranked by quality of life, using an index we derived from official national data.
We've also compared the performance of each region using 2015 data to our index from 2013, to see where places have gone up or down in the rankings.
The Liverpool statistical region in the North West area of England is one that has actually dropped down the table, though not by a huge amount, since 2013.
It now comes in at 110th place where it was in 94th place 24 months ago. This places Liverpool near the bottom of the table for quality of life, in the 30 worst places to live in the UK.
Employment
The employment rates in Liverpool are the lowest in the whole of the UK, with only 59% of the population in employment. There are, however, an above average 48% working normal full time hours of 35 to 45 hours per week.
There are then a further 28% of people working over 45 hours a week, which is seen to be bad for quality of life. This is well above average for the UK, though this stat does trend higher in the South East than anywhere else.
Income
Incomes in Liverpool are above average, with the average Liverpool resident receiving a gross weekly income of £509.30 in 2015.
Disposable income on the other hand, is very low, at £13,959 for a household per annum.
House Prices
Houses are fairly inexpensive in Liverpool, and though not among the very cheapest in the UK, they are low for the North West of England with the average house in Liverpool selling in 2015 for £117,500. Rent is not so cheap, however, with the average weekly price per person at £72.
Life Expectancy
This region has lower than average life expectancy statistics at 76 for men and 80 for women – among the lowest in the UK for both genders.
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 weekly household food expenditure in Liverpool is just below average at £53 per week, and petrol is also close to national averages costing 117p. Car insurance premiums are well above average however at £561.60, and home insurance also at £249.60.
Other Important Factors
The only area where Liverpool performs exceptionally well is when it comes to the technology factors that are important for modern life – a priority for many people in quality of life terms.
Liverpool has 99% coverage from mobile phone networks, and average broadband speeds are good at 27.8Mbps – though these are not among the highest in the UK, they are much faster than average.
Liverpool is a place with a few positives in statistical terms, like good technology and low house prices, though due to negative factors in its statistics like extremely poor employment and high insurance premiums it still falls in the bottom portion of the table of uSwitch's best places to live in 2015.
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 .