Top 60 places to retire near you revealed – including the ‘wine capital’ of the UK
THE best places to retire in Britain have been revealed, with the “wine capital” of the UK making the list.
A new study carried out by Legal and General scored different areas on a range of factors that make up a happier later life.
Most of the best places to retire are in the south east of the country
These included access to healthcare, opportunities to build social connections, access to nature, local amenities and financial security.
Nestled in leafy Buckinghamshire, Chesham and Amersham took the top spot as the best place in the UK to spend your golden years.
The area – popular for its transport links to London, its charming and historic streets, and for being a gateway for walkers and cyclists to the picturesque Chilterns – was ranked the highest in L&G’s index.
The area performed “exceptionally well” on its health measure, having a strong proportion of over-65s in good physical and mental health.
It also scored highly on financial security and in other areas, such as access to nature and community, making it a good option for later life.
The picturesque town of Beaconsfield, also in Buckinghamshire, came in second place, while Dorking and Horley in Surrey was third.
Also in Surrey, Goldalming and Ash was fourth, while Mid Sussex completed the top five.
West Sussex – which is part of the wine capital of the UK and produces more wine than any county – also made the list, with East Grinstead and Uckfield coming in 10th.
Mid Dunbartonshire and Monmouthshire took the top spots as the best places to retire in Scotland and Wales respectively.
Some 19 of the top 20 places to retire in the UK were in the south of the country, with just one Northern town making the list.
Tatton, in Cheshire, which is known to be one of the wealthiest northern towns, was ranked as the 15th best place to spend your golden years.
The index scored areas against six “pillars” – housing, health, social and community, financial, nature, and amenities.
This was based on analysis of a wide range of existing data including Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, census data and housing and house price reports.
Opinium survey findings from research among 3,000 UK retirees in April 2024 were also analysed. The happiest retirees were defined as those with a life satisfaction score greater than the sample median average.
L&G managing director of retirement Lorna Shah said: “This research gives us a more complete picture of what shapes a happy later life.
“It’s not just about one factor – it’s the combination of health, social connections, environment, and financial security that all play a part in retirement wellbeing.
“Financial security in particular, is an enabler for many of the other measures, giving people the freedom to choose where and how they want to live in later life.”
The top places to retire
THESE are the top places to retire in Britain according to L&G's index:
1. Chesham and Amersham, Buckinghamshire
2. Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
3. Dorking and Horley, Surrey
4. Godalming and Ash, Surrey
5. Mid Sussex
6. Woking, Surrey
7. Farnham and Bordon, Surrey
8. Esher and Walton, Surrey
9. Suffolk Coastal, Suffolk
10. East Grinstead and Uckfield, West Sussex
11. Henley and Thame, Oxfordshire
12. Sevenoaks, Kent
13. New Forest West, Hampshire
14. Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, Outer London
15. Tatton, Cheshire
16. West Dorset
17. Surrey Heath, Surrey
18. Maidenhead, Berkshire
19. Windsor, Berkshire
20. Guildford, Surrey
The top places to retire in Scotland and Wales
THESE are the top places to retire in Scotland according to L&G:
1. Mid Dunbartonshire
2. Stirling and Strathallan
3. East Renfrewshire
4 West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
5. Na h-Eileanan an Iar
6. Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber
7. Perth and Kinross-shire
8. Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
9. Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
10. Dumfries and Galloway
11. Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire
12, Edinburgh North and Leith
13. Edinburgh West
14. Gordon and Buchan
15. Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale
16. Angus and Perthshire Glens
17. Arbroath and Broughty Ferry
18. Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock
19. North East Fife
20. Aberdeenshire North and Moray East
These are the top places to retire in Wales according to L&G:
1. Monmouthshire
2. Dwyfor Meirionnydd
3. Vale of Glamorgan
4. Ynys Mon
5. Mid and South Pembrokeshire
6. Bangor Aberconwy
7. Caerfyrddin
8. Gower
9. Bridgend
10. Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe
11. Cardiff North
12. Clwyd North
13. Ceredigion Preseli
14. Clwyd East
15. Llanelli
16. Newport West and Islwyn
17. Pontypridd
18. Wrexham
19. Cardiff South and Penarth
20. Neath and Swansea East
L&G said the south west of England performed well in its index in relation to housing, which considered factors such as access to residential care homes and the availability of suitable senior housing in the region.
Bristol Central in Bristol, Gloucester in Gloucestershire, and Bournemouth East in Dorset all performed well for suitable housing for those in retirement.
Meanwhile, Lancashire’s Fylde area was the top performer in terms of social and community connection, followed by Lowestoft in Suffolk and Dorking and Horley in Surrey.
This pillar considered the number of adults in the area aged 65 and over, life satisfaction levels, reported levels of happiness, and distance to the nearest station.
The East of England scored well when ranked according to the nature pillar with Castle Point, Essex, South Holland and The Deepings, Lincolnshire, and South Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire, making the top three.
This pillar involved looking at air quality, reported summer days, the percentage of addresses with private outdoor space, and the average size of private outdoor space.
London constituencies claimed the top spots when assessed against the amenities pillar with Cities of London and Westminster, Holborn and St Pancras, and Islington South and Finsbury, all making the top three.
Wales and Scotland also made the top five with Dwyfor Meirionnydd (Wales, Gwynedd) and Glasgow East taking fourth and fifth spots respectively.
This pillar considered access to chemists, supermarkets, post offices, banks, libraries, and theatres, among other amenities.
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