Newcastle-under-Lyme, Merton and Wrexham among the best places in the UK to retire, Which? reveals

New analysis by Which? has named Newcastle-under-Lyme, Merton and Wrexham among the best places in the UK to retire.

A survey by the consumer champion found that around a third (36%) of people ready for or approaching retirement said they had already moved or have considered moving house as part of their later-life plans.

Which? surveyed over 1,000 members to determine what is most important to them when they retire. Healthcare access (88%) topped the list of important factors for respondents, followed by green space (75%) and proximity to local leisure activities (31%). Many also said they would prefer to live somewhere with low crime levels.

The analysis by Which? involved applying these factors to find the top-scoring local authority for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and each of the nine regions in England.

Which? gave each local authority a score out of 10 for healthcare, happiness, green space – specifically parks and playing fields – and also considered house price affordability.

Twelve locations, one for each region, were identified as the best areas to retire. The top scores were awarded to Broxbourne, Elmbridge, Exeter, High Peak, Kirklees, Merton, Mid and East Antrim, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Outer Hebrides, South Tyneside, Stockport and Wrexham.

Newcastle-under-Lyme was one of the highest-scoring English local authorities for green space, scoring 9.6 out of 10. The area is home to 7.4 parks and playing fields within 1km on average. It was also rated the joint-happiest English local authority based on data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), tying with High Peak in the East Midlands. The ONS also reported it has an overall score of 7.9 for health and wellbeing.

Average house prices in the area are also on the cheaper end of the spectrum at £180,000. Popular nearby attractions include the New Vic Theatre, Brampton Museum and Apedale Heritage Centre.

Another popular area in England was Merton, South West London. It scored highly for both healthcare (9.4/10) and its abundance of green spaces (9.6/10). Retirees in this area would only need to travel 0.6km average distance to their nearest GP, and 0.6km average distance to their nearest pharmacy.

Attractive green spaces in the local area include Wimbledon Park and the National Trust site Morden Hall Park. The area famously hosts the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament each year and is also home to a number of communities, such as Wimbledon Village, and plenty in the way of shops and high-quality restaurants. However, the average house price in Merton is expensive at £560,000.

Wrexham AFC has gained worldwide attention since Hollywood stars Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds took over the club and fans will be pleased to hear that, in Wales, the county borough of Wrexham came top. It scored highly for its green spaces (9.1/10), home to an average of 4.8 within 1km. It also boasts some outstanding locations of natural beauty, including parts of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, a vast area of woodland, open fields and moorland, plus Chirk Castle. Those looking to buy in the area will be pleased that the average house price is £180,000.

In Northern Ireland, Mid and East Antrim came top – receiving the highest score for healthcare, scoring a perfect 10 out of 10. The area provides a good safety net for retirees because there are 81 surgeries per 100,000 registered patients. What is more, its average house price is relatively low at £139,000.

Famed for its stunning coastlines, the Outer Hebrides topped the list of retirement locations in Scotland, scoring some of the highest marks for healthcare (9.7/10) and happiness (8/10). Which? found that the Outer Hebrides had five GP surgeries per 10,000 people as well as impressive health and wellbeing scores, according to ONS data. Of all the top twelve locations it also has the cheapest average house price, at £137,000.

For those looking for a place to retire in mainland Scotland, Which?’s research found that the Highlands area was another good option, scoring 8.8 out of 10 for healthcare and 7.8 out of 10 for happiness.

Which? is encouraging consumers to make sure they take steps to plan for retirement by checking their state pension forecast and tracking down their lost pension pots. That way they could be in a good position to make a new home in one of the attractive retirement locations Which? has been identified in its latest research.

Jenny Ross, Which? Money Editor, said:

“Whether you’ve always dreamed of escaping to the countryside or the seaside, the decision of where to retire can be just as important as the decision of when to retire – and our latest research has uncovered gems across the UK that would be great places for retirees to consider.

“The sooner you can start financially preparing for retirement, the better. Check your state pension forecast and track down any lost pension pots to get a clearer picture of whether you’re on track. That way you’ll be prepared to make the move if you decide it’s for you.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• Which? conducted a survey of 1,192 Which? members in May 2023.

• Read more on the cost and planning for retirement in Which?’s guide for how much you will need to retire

 Methodology:

• Scores for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were calculated separately and are not directly comparable. Which? assessed the following data points to develop composite scores for England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

• Sources include: ONS/ NHS Scotland/ Scottish Statistics/ Public Health Wales/ NISRA.

• To calculate the average house price, Which? looked at the ratio of average house price in an area vs the average yearly salary of people who live in that area. This formed part of the overall composite score which ranked areas.

England:

• Average distance to nearest GP

• Average distance to the nearest pharmacy

• Average distance to the nearest sports/leisure facility

• Violent crime rate

• Local resident happiness

• House price affordability
• Average number of green spaces within 1km

• Overall health and wellbeing score

Northern Ireland:

• GP surgeries per 100,000 registered patients

• Local resident happiness

• Violent crime rate

• House price affordability

Scotland:

• GP surgeries per 10,000 pop

• Local resident happiness

• Violent crime rate

• House price affordability

• Average number of green spaces within 1km

Wales:

• GP surgeries per 10,000 pop

• Local resident happiness

• Violent crime rate

• House price affordability

• Average number of green spaces within 1km

About Which?

Which? is the UK’s consumer champion, here to make life simpler, fairer and safer for everyone. Our research gets to the heart of consumer issues, our advice is impartial, and our rigorous product tests lead to expert recommendations. We’re the independent consumer voice that influences politicians and lawmakers, investigates, holds businesses to account and makes change happen. As an organisation we’re not for profit and all for making consumers more powerful.

The information in this press release is for editorial use by journalists and media outlets only. Any business seeking to reproduce information in this release should contact the Which? Endorsement Scheme team at endorsementscheme@which.co.uk.