Blackburn named the best place in the UK to make a living
Blackburn comes top, whilst Gloucester is bottom
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Research analysing average wages compared to mortgage repayments to find the best place to make a living in the UK is actually Blackburn.
The analysis compared median wages to mortgage repayments, cost of living and the health of the job markets in each town. The calculations focused on working and living in each town, with no points awarded for scenery, culture, or connections to the rest of the UK, which is why places which have commonly been favoured by those who commute into London, like Luton and Brighton, don’t make the top 20.
While London is frequently declared the best city in the UK to live in, the average mortgage repayment here is larger than the median take-home salary, and the cost of living is the highest in the UK. Conversely, in Blackburn, average mortgage repayments are just 21% of the median take-home salary and the cost of living is significantly lower. Gloucester ranks bottom with mortgages at £939, 52% of the median wage figure.
(via Totally Money).
Other findings from the analysis include:
• Blackburn is the best place in the UK to make a living, followed by Derby, Cambridge, Sunderland, and Milton Keynes.
• The worst place to make a living in the UK is Gloucester, followed by Rochdale, Blackpool, Newport, and Burnley.
• Derby, which ranked 2nd out of 64, claimed its spot in the top 5 with its low cost of living and healthy job market.
• Cambridge’s low cost of living and high job growth in comparison to Oxford’s saw these top university cities rank number 3 and number 19 respectively.
• London ranked number 26.
• The UK’s second largest city, Birmingham, ranked 30th out of 64.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments