When it comes to choosing a new place to live in the UK, having some intel on the quality of life in different cities and regions can be extremely useful. The uSwitch's Best Places to Live in The UK Quality of Life Index study, completed again recently for 2015, ranks 138 different locations around the UK on an index based on a statistical analysis of a wide range of factors, including life expectancy, cost of living, and employment rates.
Because different people have different priorities when it comes to what they consider important to their quality of life, data on things like broadband speeds, insurance premiums and mobile phone coverage is also used to come up with a list of the best places to live in the UK.
In the 2015 comparison, Lanarkshire in Scotland scored very well, with South Lanarkshire in 5th place and North Lanarkshire in 8th out of all 138 places looked at. Here are the reasons why North Lanarkshire falls in the top 10 places to live for quality of life in 2015:
Here are some of the statistics that show why North Lanarkshire is a good place to move to in the UK:
Employment
Employment is an area where North Lanarkshire really shines, with 71% of people in employment, and 54% working full time hours – the highest in our top 10. As well as having the highest number of people working 35-45 hours a week, North Lanarkshire's residents are also the least likely in our top 10 best places to live to end up working more hours than is considered healthy, with only 18% doing over 45 hours a week routinely.
Income
Income in this region is on the lower end of the places in our top 10 list, but is a respectable £489.40 per week on average, and while disposable income is also lower than other places in our top 10 at £14,974 per household, per year, as you'll see below this is offset by low prices – people in North Lanarkshire get great value for money.
House Prices
The average house in North Lanarkshire sells for just £91,000 – by far the lowest in the top 10 best places to live, and the only one below £100,000. Rent is equally low at £54.80, making North Lanarkshire great value for accommodation.
Life Expectancy
Life expectancy is lower than the other places in our top 10, however Scotland has lower life expectancy stats than the rest of the UK on the whole, and this may have an effect on these figures. Male life expectancy is 75 and female 79. .
Living Costs
The weekly household food bill in North Lanarkshire is on average £54.80, which is on the low side. Petrol prices are also comparatively low at 117.15p. For insurance, rates are very low as they also are in other Scottish locations on our top 10, at £343.20 for the average car insurance policy and £239.20 for home.
To ensure you're on the cheapest deal, visit our energy comparison page.
Other Important Factors
North Lanarkshire enjoys 97% mobile phone signal coverage and good average broadband speeds of 27Mbps, making it a convenient place for those who rely a lot on communication technology.
North Lanarkshire, and indeed Lanarkshire on the whole, has a lot to offer in terms of value and convenience, and this is why it has made uSwitch's top 10!
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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 .