Looking at and comparing information and statistics can really help when you need to make an important decision, and if you are looking to move to a new location, it can be really helpful to know what to expect.
This is one of the reasons why uSwitch have performed detailed data analysis on a wide range of statistics to analyse which are the best and worst cities and regions in the UK to live, creating uSwitch's Best Places to Live in The UK Quality of Life Index.
For uSwitch's Best Places to Live in The UK Quality of Life Index, we included all kinds of data on things like employment, the cost of living, insurance premiums and even broadband speeds to determine where each of the UK's NUTS 3 statistical regions ranked for quality of life. This is the second analysis we have done of this nature – the first being back in 2013 – so we can also show where a given place has risen or fallen in the past two years.
The North Yorkshire CC statistical region covers all of North Yorkshire with the exception of York, which has its own NUTS 3 region (and came in 9th in our rankings).
North Yorkshire CC is a respectable 26th on the 2015 table, however in 2013 it was 2nd, so it has dropped quite substantially.
Here are some stats relating to quality of life in North Yorkshire CC:
Employment
76% of people in this region were employed in 2015, which is fairly good by wider UK standards. However, North Yorkshire CC appears to have a poor work life balance, with a high 27% of people working over 45 hours per week.
Income
Incomes at first glance appear mediocre in this area, at £464.73 gross per person per week. However, households living in the North Yorkshire CC statistical region do enjoy a fairly high amount of disposable income at just under £19k per year – higher than many of the 25 places ranked above this region overall. To ensure you're on the cheapest deal, visit our energy comparison page
House Prices
House prices are moderate when compared UK wide at £183,642, though this is high compared to many other parts of the North of England. Rent is quite high at £70 per person, per week.
Life Expectancy
The average life expectancy for a man in North Yorkshire CC is 80, with women expected to live to 84. This is in line with UK averages for England.
Living Costs
North Yorkshire CC could be seen as an expensive place for motorists, with higher than average car insurance premiums of £509.60 and higher than average petrol prices – averaging 118p in 2015. Food costs are low by UK standards however with an average weekly grocery shop costing £50. If you have not switched before, see how much you could save by switching car insurers.
Other Important Factors
North Yorkshire CC scores fairly poorly for technology, with only 75% mobile phone coverage, and lower than average broadband speeds at 18.2Mbps. Read our guide, to ensure which mobile network has the best mobile phone coverage.
As you can see, there are some positive and negative aspects to life in this region, but at 26th out of 138 it is still a good prospect.
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 .