THE happiest place to live in West Yorkshire has been named.
The historic spa town of Ilkley topped a list of the UK’s 75 happiest places in a new survey, beating out Huddersfield, Pudsey, Wakefield, and Halifax, which rounded out the top five in the county.
The rankings were based on factors such as natural beauty, green spaces, good state schools, affordable housing, and access to quality pubs, restaurants, independent shops, and cultural attractions.
Ilkley is well known for its picturesque surroundings, strong sense of community, and excellent transport links to nearby cities such as Leeds and Bradford.
A spokesman for Furniturebox, the online retailer that conducted the survey, said: “Ilkley is the happiest place to live in West Yorkshire.
“All 75 places on the list would have been worthy winners and show why the UK is such a wonderful place to live, loved by visitors from all over the world.
“Most of the locations in the top 75 are not the most affluent in their localities and have access to some affordable housing including Ilkley which is very popular with families.
“The survey shows that the happiest places are not defined by wealth but by the quality of life within them.”
Ilkley Grammar School is regularly listed among the top schools in the country for academic achievement.
The town and its surrounding moor have also served as filming locations for a number of films and television shows, including Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life, Calendar Girls, The Witcher: Blood Origin, and the recent adaptation of A Woman of Substance.
The survey was carried out by Furniturebox, an online furniture retailer that polled 5,000 people across the UK, including residents in West Yorkshire.
Founded 10 years ago by school friends Monty George and Dan Beckles, both aged 27, the company has grown into a major competitor.
The founders are part of a new generation of ‘Gen Z entrepreneurs’ building multimillion-pound ecommerce businesses.
Furniturebox offers a wide range of contemporary furniture and guarantees next day delivery to nearly all addresses throughout the UK if the order is placed by 8pm the previous day.
A full list of the UK’s 75 happiest places can be found in Furniturebox’s guide.
