A list of the UK’s top ‘perfect’ retirement locations has been revealed – and there are some surprising names on the list.
The stereotypical retirement destination, in most peoples’ minds, is a seaside town such as Bournemouth.
But instead, a new ranking system has calculated that regions such as the Outer Hebrides, Exeter and Kirklees are the top places for retirement when all pensioners’ needs are factored in.
Consumer group Which? has taken retirees’ wish-lists for their later-life locations to work out its own grouping of the 12 top places to spend your golden years.
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The 1,000 people surveyed said healthcare access was the most important factor in what they wanted in a retirement location, with 88 per cent prioritising it.
Healthcare was followed by access to green space (75 per cent) and local leisure activities (31 per cent) as priorities, along with low crime, affordable houses and how happy local residents are.
The consumer group then took this list and worked out the top local authority in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as hotspots for each of the nine regions of England.
Twelve locations, one for each region, were identified as the best areas to retire.
The top scores were awarded to Broxbourne, Elmbridge, Exeter, High Peak, Kirklees, Merton, Mid and East Antrim, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Outer Hebrides, South Tyneside, Stockport and Wrexham.
Which? found that more than a third (36 per cent) of people approaching retirement age want to move house or have done so already.
Newcastle-under-Lyme was one of the highest-scoring English local authorities for green space, scoring 9.6 out of 10.
The area is home to 7.4 parks and playing fields within an average 1 kilometre of any given property.
It was also rated the joint-happiest English local authority, based on data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), tying with High Peak in the East Midlands.
Average house prices in the area are also on the cheaper end of the spectrum at £180,000. Popular nearby attractions include the New Vic Theatre, Brampton Museum and Apedale Heritage Centre.
Another popular area in England was Merton, South West London. It scored highly for both healthcare (9.4/10) and its abundance of green spaces (9.6/10). Retirees in this area would only need to travel 600 metres to their nearest GP or pharmacy.
Attractive green spaces in the local area include Wimbledon Park and the National Trust site Morden Hall Park.
The area famously hosts the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament each year and has plenty of shops and high-quality restaurants. However, the average house price in Merton is expensive at £560,000.
In Wales, the borough of Wrexham came out on top.
The region scored highly for its green spaces (9.1/10), home to an average of 4.8 within 1 kilometre. It also boasts areas of natural beauty such as parts of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, a vast area of woodland, open fields and moorland, plus Chirk Castle.
Those looking to buy in the area will be pleased that the average house price is £180,000.
In Northern Ireland, Mid and East Antrim came top – receiving the highest score for healthcare, scoring 10 out of 10. The area provides a good safety net for retirees because there are 81 surgeries per 100,000 registered patients. What is more, its average house price is relatively low at £139,000.
Famed for its stunning coastlines, the Outer Hebrides topped the list of retirement locations in Scotland, scoring some of the highest marks for healthcare (9.7/10) and happiness (8/10).
Which? found that the Outer Hebrides had five GP surgeries per 10,000 people as well as impressive health and wellbeing scores, according to ONS data.
Of all the top twelve locations it also has the cheapest average house price, at £137,000.
For those looking for a place to retire in mainland Scotland, Which?’s research found that the Highlands area was another good option, scoring 8.8 out of 10 for healthcare and 7.8 out of 10 for happiness.
Which? money editor Jenny Ross said: ‘Whether you’ve always dreamed of escaping to the countryside or the seaside, the decision of where to retire can be just as important as the decision of when to retire – and our latest research has uncovered gems across the UK that would be great places for retirees to consider.’
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