These are the best and worst places in England and Wales to retire

Broxbourne is the best place to retire in England and Wales 

• Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, comes in at the top as the best place to retire in England and Wales 
• Spelthorne, Surrey, ranks as the worst place to retire  

New research reveals that Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, is the best place to retire in England and Wales. 

The research, by care experts Guardian Carers, analysed more than 250 local authority areas in based on key factors that contribute to a happy retirement such as access to healthcare, access to green space, wellbeing levels and average house prices.  

Broxbourne ranked the best place to retire in England and Wales after performing well in a number of different factors, such as first overall for having the most access to public green space compared to all other local authorities. Residents of Broxbourne have access to the second-largest average combined size of parks, public gardens, or playing fields within a 1,000 m radius. 

Coming in second is Richmond upon Thames, which places third overall for access to public green space and also performs well for access to healthcare, with relatively low levels of crime. 

Stoke-on-Trent, which places third overall in the rankings, has some of the lowest house prices in the country. The average house price in the area is £136,026, which is the 13th lowest in the country and less than half the UK average of £281,160. 

The fourth best place to retire in England and Wales is Cornwall which has the lowest crime rate of all local authorities included in the study.  

Fifth is Windsor and Maidenhead, thanks in part to one of the best scores for public green spaces.  Compared to the other 264 local authorities, Windsor and Maidenhead has the largest average combined size of parks, public gardens and playing fields at 3,023,039 m2.  

The key factors that Brits value in a happy retirement 

Health is ranked as the most important contributor to a happy retirement according to a survey by Demos UK. The index measures ease of access to the nearest GP, hospital and pharmacy, as well as wellbeing levels, with Chorley recording the highest overall levels of wellbeing and Cannock Chase the lowest. 

Westminster has the lowest travel time by car of four minutes to a pharmacy, and Eden has the longest drive to their nearest pharmacy of 13 minutes on average. 

Residents of Kensington and Chelsea see the lowest travel time in minutes to their nearest GP when walking or using public transport of just 5 minutes, whereas it would take residents of Eden 39 minutes on average. 

City of London has the shortest travel time when driving to a hospital of just 10 minutes whereas it would take residents of North Norfolk an average of 75 minutes. 

Access to private and public green space is a vital part of a person’s health due to the fresh air, sunlight and exercise. South Tyneside is England and Wales’ local authority where the highest percentage of addresses (97%) have access to private green space while Tower Hamlets has the lowest, with only 60%. Broxbourne has the most amount of access to public green space.  

Crime comes in as an important factor to consider for a happy retirement – Harlow has the highest rates of recorded crime between 2020 and 2021, while Cornwall has the lowest recorded crime rate out of all local authority areas. 

Burnley ranks as having the cheapest average house prices in England and Wales at £118,900, whilst Kensington and Chelsea have the highest at £1,513,711 – a disparity of nearly £1.5 million. 

Hobbies are also an important factor to consider for a happy retirement, and often they will be done with other people of a similar age. North Norfolk has the highest percentage of residents aged over 65, with an estimated 34,772 people over 65 equating to 33.2% of the population. Meanwhile, Tower Hamlets has 20,859 residents who are at least 65 years old, which is just 6.5% of the population. 

In retirement, many people need to be as careful with their money as possible. The cost of living and rising energy bills mean that energy efficiency is an important factor to consider. Tower Hamlets scores the highest for energy efficiency with an average EPC rating of 77 across all properties, while Pendle, Castle Point and Eden score the lowest with 60.  

A spokesperson for Guardian Carers commented on the findings:  

“Deciding where to retire is an extremely important decision. People are living longer than ever before, and therefore need to be active in planning their future to support them in their later years. This research shows the factors that are vital for a happy retirement, and it is fascinating to see the areas of England and Wales coming out on top.” 

The Top 10 Best Places to Retire in England and Wales 

Rank	Place	Score out of 100
1	Broxbourne	71.916
2	Richmond upon Thames	71.840
3	Stoke-on-Trent	71.776
4	Cornwall	70.237
5	Windsor and Maidenhead	70.181
6	Birmingham	69.870
7	Newcastle-under-Lyme	69.106
8	Runnymede	68.688
9	Wiltshire	68.096
10	County Durham	67.260

The Bottom 10 Best Places to Retire in England and Wales 

Rank	Place	Score out of 100
247	South Cambridgeshire	56.918
248	Chichester	56.837
249	Slough	56.620
250	Harborough	56.508
251	North Warwickshire	56.462
252	Swale	56.460
253	Dover	56.139
254	Hertsmere	56.058
255	Forest of Dean	55.673
256	Spelthorne	55.194

The study was conducted by Guardian Carers, which is an introductory service placing carers, companions and housekeepers all over the UK and beyond; who provide a wide range of premium care services on a live-in, live-out, full-time or part-time basis. 

Further information can be found at

The Top 10 Best Places to Retire in England and Wales 

Rank	Place	Score out of 100
1	Broxbourne	71.916
2	Richmond upon Thames	71.840
3	Stoke-on-Trent	71.776
4	Cornwall	70.237
5	Windsor and Maidenhead	70.181
6	Birmingham	69.870
7	Newcastle-under-Lyme	69.106
8	Runnymede	68.688
9	Wiltshire	68.096
10	County Durham	67.260

The Bottom 10 Best Places to Retire in England and Wales 

Rank	Place	Score out of 100
247	South Cambridgeshire	56.918
248	Chichester	56.837
249	Slough	56.620
250	Harborough	56.508
251	North Warwickshire	56.462
252	Swale	56.460
253	Dover	56.139
254	Hertsmere	56.058
255	Forest of Dean	55.673
256	Spelthorne	55.194

The study was conducted by Guardian Carers, which is an introductory service placing carers, companions and housekeepers all over the UK and beyond; who provide a wide range of premium care services on a live-in, live-out, full-time or part-time basis. 

Further information can be found

The Top 10 Best Places to Retire in England and Wales 

Rank	Place	Score out of 100
1	Broxbourne	71.916
2	Richmond upon Thames	71.840
3	Stoke-on-Trent	71.776
4	Cornwall	70.237
5	Windsor and Maidenhead	70.181
6	Birmingham	69.870
7	Newcastle-under-Lyme	69.106
8	Runnymede	68.688
9	Wiltshire	68.096
10	County Durham	67.260

The Bottom 10 Best Places to Retire in England and Wales 

Rank	Place	Score out of 100
247	South Cambridgeshire	56.918
248	Chichester	56.837
249	Slough	56.620
250	Harborough	56.508
251	North Warwickshire	56.462
252	Swale	56.460
253	Dover	56.139
254	Hertsmere	56.058
255	Forest of Dean	55.673
256	Spelthorne	55.194

The study was conducted by Guardian Carers, which is an introductory service placing carers, companions and housekeepers all over the UK and beyond; who provide a wide range of premium care services on a live-in, live-out, full-time or part-time basis. guardiancarers.co.uk.