In prime commuter territory, a mere 30 miles west of London, the borough of Wokingham is a small collection of pricey but attractive towns just outside Reading. Cynics might suggest that its biggest asset is the M4.
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It's Tim Nice but dim! The dull boyfriend; the lights are on but there's no one home! Which is handy as Wokingham's crime figures are low. You've told us that this is your number one priority, which is why it's ranked so highly in our countdown.
People work less hours than elsewhere in the UK and salaries here are eight grand above the national average of £23,500. And because life expectancy for men and women is above the national average, you have more time to splash that cash.
Property prices are buoyant, with a typical house costing, at just over £320,000, some £110,000 more than the national average. Prices continue to rise at rates slightly above national trends, with a 13.3 per cent increase between 2006 and 2007. Residents are likely to be comfortably well-off middle class couples: 49 per cent of households in 2001 were married, 12 per cent higher than the national average, and more than half of homes are owner-occupied.
The borough's schools perform well, particularly at higher exams. The average student gained 742 UCAS points in 2006, considerably higher than average, and 65 per cent of GCSE pupils achieved five or more passes at grade C or above. Crime figures are low, and all houses are served by curbside recycling facilities.
Wokingham may have lost its 17th century claim to fame as host of a bizarre and somewhat unpleasant spectacle known as bull-baiting, but it remains a lively area, and is yet to entirely surrender itself to commuter-belt anonymity.
Nearby Reading offers a newly revitalised shopping centre, along with the famous rock festival to keep the teenagers entertained once a year. A short journey to the east will lead you to gastronomic paradise that is Bray, home to two of only three triple-Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK.
Within the borough itself, there's some beautiful Thames-side scenery to behold, such as that at Sonning, described by Jerome K Jerome in his book, Three Men In A Boat as 'the most fairy-like little nook on the whole river'. There are a range of open spaces dotted across Wokingham, of which Dinton Pastures Country Park is the largest, offering excellent walks and wetland wildlife-spotting opportunities.
<< Go back to the index to learn about more places in the top and bottom 20
Have your say and see what other people are saying about Wokingham and the other 433 UK boroughs >>
Find out which lucky borough made it to 19 in 2007 >>
Local area info on Wokingham from upmystreet.com >>
Wokingham District Council >>
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