The safest places in the UK vary by report, but consistently feature affluent market towns, cathedral cities, and certain London boroughs, with Harrogate, Wokingham, Chester, Sutton (London), Telford & Wrekin, and York frequently topping lists for low crime and high resident satisfaction. Key safe areas often include Salisbury, Windsor, Bath, St Albans, and Richmond upon Thames, known for strong communities, good policing, and lower crime rates compared to large cities.
Safest overall: Based on a 2024 crime-index study of 105 UK towns and cities, Harrogate, Wokingham, Chester, Sevenoaks and Horsham occupy the top five spots, with crime index scores between roughly 17 and 23 (lower scores indicate safer areas).
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Anyone legally residing in the United Kingdom is entitled to free NHS healthcare. You do not have to be a British citizen or employed to be part of the system – though you may pay an immigration health surcharge. Some foreigners and visitors in the U.K. can receive some treatment.
Skipton in North Yorkshire has been named the happiest place to live in Great Britain, in Rightmove's latest Happy at Home Index for 2025.
Mediocre traditional cuisine: Traditional British food is often criticized for being bland or unexciting compared to other global cuisines. High cost of living: Especially in cities like London, the cost of living can be very high, making daily life expensive.
As a generalisation, the following tend to indicate that there is some sort of north–south divide: Health conditions, which are generally seen as being worse in the north, though spending on healthcare is higher. House prices, which are higher in the south, particularly the south-east.
Norwich has officially been named the UK's Kindest City, by Benefact Group, an organisation that gives all its available profits to good causes, after locals made more nominations for charities than anywhere else in the country*.
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Yes, overall the UK is considered safe, with relatively low violent crime rates.
Key guidance on keeping safe
Great Britain is one of the most expensive countries in the world to live in. At the same time, it offers one of the best standards of living in the world. The UK has relatively low levels of poverty and a stable government. The UK is also an open-minded country to migrants.
In 2025, we have updated budgets for all households based largely on price changes as captured through the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). A single person needs to earn £30,500 a year to reach a minimum acceptable standard of living in 2025. A couple with 2 children needs to earn £74,000 a year between them.
When it comes to reasonable living costs, Middlesbrough takes the top spot for affordability, scoring 6.51/10. It's closely followed by Sunderland and Newcastle, meaning all three of the UK's most affordable cities are in the North East — a region long associated with a lower cost of living.
In a new study from Sell House Fast, Solihull has been crowned the most peaceful place to live in England—that's something Birmingham could never be accused of—based on a “sensory disturbance index” that compares everyday factors like noise complaints, light pollution, derelict buildings, sewage works and greenhouse ...
Copenhagen has an impressive résumé when it comes to high-quality living. This year, the Happy City Index ranked Copenhagen as the world's happiest city, based on factors like health, mobility, and environment. Plus, the World Happiness Report named Denmark the second-happiest country in 2025.
UK residents are entitled to limited subsidised health services from Medicare for medically necessary treatment while visiting Australia. These provisions do not apply to non-visitors, for example those studying in Australia.
According to the latest 2025 CEOWORLD Health Care Index, Taiwan once again ranks as the country with the best healthcare in the world, maintaining its top position with an overall score of 78.72. South Korea (77.7) and Australia (74.11) remain in second and third place, respectively.
The National Health Service (NHS) provides free hospital treatment for people who live in the United Kingdom (UK). However if you do not usually live in the UK or have been living outside the UK for more than three months, you may have to pay for any treatment.