A new study has ranked over 300 local authority areas in England by how happy they are.

The research, by Guardian Carers, took into consideration key factors that contribute to all-round happiness such as access to green space, wellbeing levels and income. The factors were added up to provide an overall score of the happiness of the residents in each area.

So where does the Staffordshire Moorlands rank on the national happiness scale?

Well, our district has performed well overall, ranking as the 88th most happy out of the 304 areas that were analysed.

The Moorlands was given an overall score of 59.99 out of 100 for happiness (with 100 being the most happy), based on the following eight factors:

• Wellbeing levels
• Average hours worked 
• Income growth 
• Unemployment rate 
• Suicide rate 
• Crime rate 
• Access to public green space 
• Access to private green space

The factor that the district performed best in was access to private green spaces, with a whopping score of 95.88.

However it was marked down for its crime rate, with a score of only 19.87.

The National Picture

Windsor and Maidenhead ranked the happiest area in England with the best combined score of the factors. The largest contributing factors to this are low suicide rates at ten in one year and the thirteenth lowest unemployment rate at 3.6%. This area also has the highest average combined size of parks, public gardens or playing fields within a 1,000 m radius of 3,023,029m2. 

Coming in second is Wiltshire (Salisbury), which has the fifth lowest unemployment rate compared with all 304 areas studied as well as the area eighth greatest access to private outdoor space. 

Rutland, situated in the East Midlands, places third overall in the rankings. Out of the 304 areas analysed, Rutland ranks tenth for the lowest levels of crime with 42 recorded in one year. 

The fourth happiest area in the UK is the Hertfordshire town, Broxbourne. This area has the second highest average combined size of parks, public gardens or playing fields within a 1,000 m radius of 2,878,872.20 m2. 

Fifth is Runnymede in the county of Surrey. For wellbeing scores, Runnymede scores as having the twelfth highest overall at 97.05 out of 100. On top of this, it also ranks as eighth for fewest hours worked and fourth overall for average combined size of parks, public gardens or playing fields. 

 Tandridge, Surrey comes in sixth overall in the happiness ranking after scoring highly in areas such as having the highest income growth. This area also holds the tenth lowest unemployment rate, according to ONS data. 

Kingston Upon Thames, Southwest London ranks as the seventh happiest area in England. This area scores highly in the green space factor coming fifth overall in England for the average combined size of parks, public gardens or playing fields within a 1,000 m radius of 2,202,514.86 m2. 

Rochford, Essex comes in as the eighth happiest city in England. 91% of addresses in this area have access to private outdoor space. According to the ONS, one in eight households in the UK do not have access to a garden. 

Wokingham, Berkshire, also ranks ninth overall for the fewest reported crimes in the area of 41 in total in 2021. 

Cornwall places tenth in the rankings for happiest area in the England which has a mere 3.5% unemployment rate. 

Boston is ranked as the unhappiest area in the UK, having the fourth lowest median income in England at £24,655; this is below the national average. The area also has the twelfth highest number of working hours.