The Sunday Times Best Places to Live 2026: Guide highlights best places in Britain - historic city tops list
The Sunday Times has revealed its Best Places to Live list for 2026 highlighting which of Britain’s villages, towns and cities have the most to offer.
It’s official, Norwich, Norfolk is the UK’s best place to live according to the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide. The vibrant, historic city tops a list of 72 locations chosen by The Sunday Times to represent the best of Britain.
The Sunday Times Best Places to Live 2026 named one overall national winner, and ten more winners, one from each region of the UK. Norwich topped the list due to its unique blend of historic character, urban buzz and liveability.
Norfolk’s capital is the only UK city inside a national park and the only location to have featured in all 14 editions of the Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide. The judges described it as a “creative, cosmopolitan city with a small-town feel”.
It continues: “It is trendy but kind, with a green conscience and a warm heart. A place of inspirational spires and cosy pub fires, where you can enjoy the best of both urban conveniences and rural living, eat like a king and probably afford to buy a home.”
They highlighted the cultural riches on offer in the first Unesco City of Literature, with its six theatres, music venues, pioneering Sainsbury Centre art gallery, newly revamped Norman castle and much more. Another feature is the vibrant city centre, with the 900-year-old market at its heart and some of Britain’s best independent shops, cafés and bars in the Lanes.
The Sunday Times Best Places to Live 2026
The winners are listed below in ranking order, however, other locations in the full guide are listed alphabetically.
- National winner: Norwich, Norfolk (east of England)
- Malmesbury, Wiltshire (southwest England)
- Skipton, North Yorkshire (north and northeast England)
- Lindfield, West Sussex (southeast England)
- The Malverns, Worcestershire (Midlands)
- Usk, Monmouthshire (Wales)
- Linlithgow, West Lothian (Scotland)
- Ballycastle, Co Antrim (Northern Ireland)
- Richmond, (London)
- Altrincham, Greater Manchester (northwest England)
Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, says: “This guide is a great opportunity to highlight the best places in Britain. It is full of places that show that our village, town and city centres can still be full of life, as well as places bursting with natural beauty, culture, connectivity and most importantly a sense of community.
“Our expert team of judges have travelled the length and breadth of the UK, from the Scottish Highlands to the Cornish coast, selecting the top towns and villages, suburbs and cities for the 2026 guide. One thing all our chosen locations have in common is that the people who live in them are proud to call them home.”
The Sunday Times’s expert judges have visited all the locations and assessed factors from schools to transport, broadband speeds and mobile signal to amenities, as well as access to high-quality green spaces and the health of the high street.
There are more new entries than ever before in this year’s guide. As always, the judges looked for thriving locations with a strong sense of community rather than famous names with high house prices.
The guide has been sponsored by the mortgage lender Lloyds Banking Group for the first time this year, which has provided an average house price for each location. “For many, navigating the housing market can feel overwhelming,” says Kate Townson, Lloyds relationship and customer development director.
“At Lloyds, our aim is to support all home buyers, including those taking their very first step onto the property ladder, with clear guidance, practical tools and tailored products that help them move forward with confidence and clarity.
“Our partnership with the Sunday Times Best Places to Live aims to give trusted insight into communities across the UK, helping homebuyers to make confident, informed decisions about their future home, ” Townson added.
Broadband speeds were provided by Thinkbroadband.com, the UK’s leading independent guide to broadband. The guide also includes mobile signal coverage, using network data from signalchecker.co.uk.
The Sunday Times Best Places to Live 2026 regional winners
Malmesbury, Wiltshire (southwest England): The ever-improving high street is the star of the show in a historic town that’s a safe place for families to put down roots. There’s plenty going on: sports clubs, a theatre group and hardworking community groups. The state schools are excellent, there are jobs at the Dyson Creative Campus and although there’s no station, Bristol, Bath and London are easily reached.
Skipton, North Yorkshire (north and northeast England): Skipton is properly grounded and strongly connected to the spectacular surrounding landscape. It’s a place where traditional businesses thrive and a haven for families drawn by the excellent schools. The volunteering culture is strong such as Share Skipton, which operates a Library of Things that allows members to borrow anything from a disco ball to a leaf blower and also holds monthly repair cafés.
Lindfield, West Sussex (southeast England): Lindfield has enough reliable schools, smart shops, amenities and connections to satisfy the most hard-headed househunter. But it’s just as perfect for more romantic souls, ready to be bewitched by the duck pond, the enviable period homes, the warm and welcoming community and the Sussex countryside.
The Malverns, Worcestershire (Midlands): The Malverns offer a majestic setting, elegant towns and villages, and a rousing cultural scene that goes far beyond the inevitable Elgar connections. There’s something here for everyone: jobs, appealing shops, cafés and restaurants and useful rail links. There are spectacular walks on the bracken-clad hills, mighty views across to Wales.
Usk, Monmouthshire (Wales): Volunteers are involved in everything in the “Town of Flowers” from planting the 2,500 plants to secure its latest Britain in Bloom gold award to running the annual Usk Show. It’s a place where nesting boxes are provided for swifts, where wild swimmers campaigned for a £10 million wastewater upgrade to combat river pollution.
Linlithgow, West Lothian (Scotland): The historic town was picked as a family-friendly hotspot between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Residents of this central belter can enjoy the medieval high street, outstanding schools and the great outdoors. It’s the kind of town where the lollipop people know everyone’s names and have treats for the dogs.
Ballycastle, Co Antrim (Northern Ireland): Ballycastle is a town with a beautiful setting and a big, beating heart, always on display in the meet-ups at the library, the Solas charity that provides mental health support, the thriving independent high street and the lively pub scene. The long sandy beach is the meeting point for dog walkers, birdwatchers and swimmers.
Richmond (London): The lucky folk of TW11 are spoilt for ways to enjoy a break in this leafy serene corner of the capital. No wonder Richmond is regularly voted the happiest borough in London. The choices include strolling beside the river or the magnificent 2,500-acre Royal Park. Richmond, with its picturesque green, feels like a small town in a big city. The high street is on the up after a spell in the doldrums and the restaurant scene has a new spring in its step.
Altrincham, Greater Manchester (northwest England): Classy, cool and effortlessly comfortable, Alty is a top-notch town brimming with independent businesses and big brands. Now it’s flying even higher. Co-working has arrived on the high street in the old Rackhams department store. The leisure centre reopened in August 2025 after a £20 million revamp, the market food hall draws diners from all over the region, and the schools are among the most successful in the country.
Previous winners of the Best Places to Live in Britain title are: Stamford, Lincolnshire (2013); Skipton, North Yorkshire (2014); Newnham, Cambridge (2015); Winchester, Hampshire (2016); Bristol (2017), York (2018), Salisbury, Wiltshire (2019), Altrincham, Cheshire (2020) Stroud, Gloucestershire (2021), Ilkley, West Yorkshire (2022) Wadhurst, East Sussex (2023), North Berwick, East Lothian (2024) and Saffron Walden, Essex (2025).
The comprehensive guide is released online on Friday (March 20). An abridged version will be published as a magazine supplement on Sunday (March 22).