Life in the city isn’t always upbeat – high rents, noisy streets, and a lack of green spaces can all contribute to an aura of unhappiness. But it’s the kind of trade-off you get for having quick access to a range of incredible pubs, restaurants, and activities that a place like only Bristol can provide. Or maybe not?
What if we said you only had to move to the outskirts of Bristol to greatly improve your overall happiness? A new study has named South Gloucestershire among the happiest areas in the UK. This includes places (areas often considered part of Bristol) like Bradley Stoke, Kingswood, Filton, Patchway and Downend – further afield, you’ll find Yate, Thornbury and Marshfield.
Named the sixth-happiest local authority in the UK by GoSmokeFree, the study takes in numerous factors – from crime rates to economic indicators. These rates and percentages were turned into an index to create a score out of 100, to help rank the places where people are more likely to be stress and anxiety-free. Topping the list was Ribble Valley in Lancashire, while the rest of the areas were located within short commuting distance of London in the South East of England.
So the inclusion of South Gloucestershire is a surprising one. Scoring 69.32 out of 100, factors included unemployment rates (2.1%), average weekly earnings (£773.1) and recorded crime rates (62.5 per 1,000 population). Meanwhile, 62.2% of the population are “economically active” – which is everyone that can work, aka not schoolchildren or pensioners. The only letdown is a somewhat lack of green spaces (26.8 hectares per 1,000 people).
“The study highlights the multifaceted nature of happiness and well-being and emphasizes the importance of considering various factors in assessing quality of life,” said a spokesperson for GoSmokeFree. “This data also wants to underline that this top 10 coincides with the areas where the population can conduct a life which is more stress-free than others, making, in turn, more likely a reduction of the risk of criminality, smoking and drug use, as well as depression and other mental health conditions.”
We agree that factors of happiness and well-being are certainly ‘multifaceted’. Does this study come anywhere close to portraying that? We’re not so sure. What about good services, community, a bit of peace-and-quiet, or a good nightlife? All sorts of things can make people happy, and it’s not done anything to ask the people of South Gloucestershire if they agree. Still, it is a lovely place!