The 2015 Halifax Rural Areas Quality of Life Survey has found that people living in Rutland enjoy the best quality of life of any rural area in the country.
The annual survey takes a range of factors into account, including residents’ good health and life expectancy, crime rate, weather, employment, school results, broadband access, and personal wellbeing. This is the first time Rutland has come top, although prior to this the East Midlands had made the top 10 on three separate occasions, coming second in 2014, and seventh in both 2013 and 2012.
Residents tend to be fit and well – over 96% reporting good or fairly good health. The employment rate is high with four out of five of 16-64 year olds in occupation, with many residents enjoying high incomes with weekly average earnings of £623.
In addition, inhabitants live in relative security with one of the lowest crime rates in the country. Residents enjoy a relatively good climate – less rainfall per year than the national average (681 mm against 879 mm) and more weekly sunshine hours (30.4 hours against the national average of 29.5 hours).
Meanwhile, 98% of all Rutland households have a good level of broadband access – compared to 87% for the Britain as a whole.
The ONS survey on personal well-being indicates the Rutland adult population is among the most happy, satisfied and content in Britain.
On the flip side, the cost of living in Rutland is higher than in many other parts of Britain – with an average house price that is 6.7 times the average annual pre-tax local income, compared to the national average of 6.2.
Chiltern has moved up six places in 2015 to second place, up from eighth place in 2014. The inhabitants of this Buckinghamshire local authority district tend to be in good health, with a high average life expectancy of 82.2 years and 97% reporting good health. The employment rate is 80% and those in full time occupation typically enjoy high incomes with weekly average earnings of £941 – the highest amongst rural areas in this survey. School performance is also strong with 85% of 15+ year olds achieving five or more GCSE results at grades A-C.
There were several other big climbers in the top 20, with Huntingdonshire rising 36 places to ninth spot, South Oxfordshire up 19 places to 10th, Babergh in South Suffolk moving from 42nd position in 2014 to eleventh in 2014 and West Oxfordshire moving 27 places to 13th position. The main reason for these changes is that personal well-being of adults has improved since the last survey; adults are more satisfied, happy and less anxious about their lives.
Craig McKinlay, mortgages director at the Halifax, said: “Rutland has moved up eleven places to the top spot in the 2015 Halifax Rural Areas Quality of Life Survey. Taking a wide range of economic and social factors into account residents here can now lay claim to having the highest standard of living in rural Britain.
“In terms of personal wellbeing and general good health, Rutland residents score among the highest in Great Britain. And while house prices relative to earnings are above the rural average, Rutland still performs strongly in terms of average weekly earnings and a high employment rate.”
The top 50 rural places to live in Britain are again dominated by the South East with 14 districts found in this region, followed by East of England which claims 10 of the top 50 spots.
Areas from outside the south in the top 50 besides Rutland include South Northamptonshire (4th), the Orkney Islands (21st), Hambleton in North Yorkshire (22nd) and Malvern Hills (25th).
Southern areas tend to receive higher ratings for weekly earnings, the weather, health, and life expectancy. Whereas Northern areas score well on education in terms of grades and smaller class sizes, lower house prices in relation to earnings, and both lower traffic flows and population densities.