Why Skipton residents say their town is the UK’s happiest

Nestled on the outskirts of the Yorkshire Dales lies a market town that has been crowned the happiest place to live in Britain in 2025.

Skipton is scenic and historic – it has cobbled streets, a medieval castle, canal and traditional independent shops – but those who live there said its community spirit and friendly vibe were what made them so content.

It took the top spot in Rightmove’s 2025 Happy at Home survey after being placed at number six in last year’s study, and in second place in 2020.

Ben Crick, a local composer, said it was no surprise the “beautiful place” had caught judges’ eyes.

“Skipton is in a very fortunate position and there’s lots of reasons for it being chosen as the happiest place, such as the shops, castle and nice houses,” he said.

Rightmove said 19,500 people took part in its survey and those who voted for Skipton ranked it highly for the friendliness of the people and also its access to nature and green spaces.

Skipton was also praised for making people feel they could “be themselves” and for the affordability of the area, as respondents felt they earned enough to live comfortably.

Natalie Davison, office manager at Bizzie Lizzie’s fish and chip shop, said she had lived in Skipton for most of her life and has no plans to ever move away, as she loves the “great community spirit”.

“It’s just a nice place to walk around with my daughter as we like to visit places like the castle and take lots of pictures,” she said.

“Skipton is full of kind and welcoming people, it’s just a lovely place.

“Businesses support each other and we’re generally happier as it is a nice standard of living here and it is great it has been given some positive recognition.”

Richard Wilson, one of the owners of “quirky cafe” Cake’ole, said he agreed that people in the town were friendly and “welcoming to everyone who comes from around the country to visit”.

“We’ve got lovely cafes, lovely independent shops, and it’s a town full of independent people working and smiling every day to welcome the tourists and the locals who treasure Skipton,” he added.

Ian Clarke, one of the directors of Pennine Cruises and the Boat House bar, added that the town was a “diverse place”.

“It’s busy in the winter as well as the summer, we’ve got loads of attractions for people and it’s a good place to live,” he said.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park is on Skipton’s doorstep and the town positions itself as a “gateway” to the area.

The Leeds and Liverpool Canal provides access for walkers and cyclists to other popular destinations such as Saltaire, and the well-preserved castle dates back to the 11th Century.

The family-friendly town has two selective grammar schools and a number of sports clubs, as well as an independent cinema. The railway station offers direct trains to Leeds, Bradford and London – and connects with the famous Settle to Carlisle line.

Mr Clarke acknowledged that house prices in Skipton could be “dearer than the surrounding places, but we have a good mix of people and a lot of people who’ve moved to Skipton from down south”.

He added people were attracted to the town because of the “good walks, the canal, trains, we’ve got everything we need really, a good selection of coffee shops and pubs – it suits a lot of people and so there is a good feeling about it.”

Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert, said it was “great to see the town of Skipton getting the attention it deserves this year having ranked highly in previous studies”.

“A lot more goes into choosing an area to live other than the home itself. Being within easy reach of nature and green spaces regularly comes out as an important factor for people, along with having friendly neighbours and feeling you can truly be yourself where you live,” she said.