WHERE TO FIND THE GOOD LIFE IN WALES
WITH stunning scenery, plenty of places to grab something to eat and bags of culture – Monmouthshire and Powys have the best quality of life of any rural area in Wales, a survey has found.
Monmouthshire claimed the number-one spot in Wales in the latest survey from Halifax.
Both the areas performed strongly in the survey, which measures employment rate, average earnings and average spend per pupil on education, as well as anxiety levels and crime rates.
The Orkney Islands, in Scotland, topped the poll nationally, with Wychavon, in Worcestershire, named as the second most desirable place to live, scoring highly on average life expectancy and with 95% of adults there being in good health.
And the good life seems more affordable than you might think, with semi-detached properties selling for an average price of £195,710.
In Powys, a semi-detached house will set you back £151,437 on average, according to property website Rightmove.
The average UK house price was £218,000 in January, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Discussing life in Monmouthshire, Walnut Tree chef Shaun Hill said: “It is a nice place to live. It has stunning scenery and sophistication.
“I don’t like the rain most of the time, but you expect rain in such areas. It’s a nice area that has lots of things to do and lovely restaurants to visit.”
This year’s survey was also the first to include two new categories, looking at the choice of pubs and the availability of health clubs and leisure centres.
Monmouthshire, which came 24th in the UK rankings, boasts worldclass restaurants and visitor attractions like Tintern Abbey.
Powys, number 46 on the list, is home to the Hay Festival, and the stunning natural beauty of Pistyll Rhaeadr and the Brecon Beacons.
The two were the only places in Wales to make the top 50 of this year’s survey.
The South East and the South West of England combined bagged 20 places in the top 50 rural places with the best quality of life in 2017.
Nowhere in the North East of England made the top 50.
Last year’s winner in Halifax’s survey, South Oxfordshire, tumbled to 10th place in 2017, but still scores strongly on earnings, employment rate and a low crime rate.
Halifax said the fall was partly due to the inclusion of the two new categories this year looking at the choice of pubs and the availability of health clubs and leisure centres.
The annual survey gathers figures covering the labour market, the housing market, the environment, education, health, and personal wellbeing using a variety of sources including the ONS, government data, the Met Office, Ofcom and Halifax itself.