Best places in Britain?

Posted in 'Neighbourhood' by Richard Catlin

28 August 2009

A recent YouGov study has revealed which of Britain's cities are perceived as most and least desirable. The results are great fun to read, but need to be viewed with a pinch of salt.

11 different factors were taken into account, including culture, cost of living, friendliness of population and whether they considered the city to be a safe investment. YouGov uses its 'PlaceIndex' classification system to produce a top ten for each category, as well as a combined set of results showing the overall best and worst rated.

The survey produced very mixed results, and a number of talking points. Overall, Edinburgh came out as the most desirable city in the UK ahead of York and London. At the other end of the scale, Bradford, Salford and Wolverhampton came out as the least desirable.

YouGov, despite its name, is a private company and has no ties to any Government body. Instead, it operates as a high-profile market research company, and is commissioned by a wide range of companies from all sectors to carry out research on their behalf. Results are used either for marketing purposes, general press releases, or for internal company research.

It operates a panel of respondents, who are incentivised to complete surveys - covering everything from election polls to Strictly Come Dancing.

For anyone considering moving to a new area, this survey data shouldn't be considered as a definitive guide. Instead, information such as the social class and demographics of the people who already live there and average house prices will play a much more important role. Factors such as insurance premiums and pensions are largely determined by these ratings, and although there are some generalisations, the data is much more important and reliable.

You can check how your own, or any UK postcode is rated, completely for free on checkmyfile. Look up as many postcodes as you like, instantly and anonymously and amongst other things you'll be able to see:

• What the average credit rating is in the local area.
• A view of the area from a satellite.
• The social classification - where does it sit on the scale A-E?
• What the average family makeup is like - including the average age, marital status and ethnic origin.
• What the average employment type is.
• What the typical housing type is - and whether most properties are owned or rented.
• Lifestyle indicators such as car ownership and internet usage.
• Broadband availability.
• Whether we're aware of any concentrated cases of identity theft in the area.

Not only this, but you'll also be able to see how your own postcode compares to a number of leading celebrities including Simon Cowell, Wayne Rooney and Andrew Flintoff. Check any UK postcode completely for free here.