Best And Worst Places To Live 2006 | 4Homes

Date Published:: 18/06/2008

In order to compile our results for, The Best And Worst Places To Live In The UK: 2006, we judged all 434 UK local authorities on exactly the same criteria - crime, education, employment, environment and lifestyle.

Top Ten Best Places To Live

1 Winchester
A perfect blend of heritage and vibrant modern living.

2 Horsham
Close to both the south coast and London.

3 Tunbridge Wells
Its residents clearly aren't disgusted any more.

4 Harrogate
Elegant living in the centre of the UK.

5 South Cambridgeshire
Fast growing country villages.

6 Orkney
Escape the rat race in the rugged far north.

7 East Hertfordshire
A country-town feel close to London.

8 Epsom and Ewell
Was last year's number one, but isn't cheap.

9 Eastleigh
Ugly, but with great employment prospects.

10 West Dorset
The picturesque rural and coastal district.

Top Ten Worst Places To Live

1 Hackney
High crime, bad education - our worst place to live.

2 Tower Hamlets
The second most deprived borough in the UK.

3 Merthyr Tydfil
Slowly improving since the steel industry died.

4 Newham
New hope has come in the form of the Olympics.

5 Islington
Super rich lies next to super poor.

6 Middlesbrough
The city's dilapidated old housing lies empty.

7 Nottingham
Crime is down but it's still burglary capital of Britain.

8 Strabane
The troubles still go on, but things are improving.

9 Blaenau Gwent
Unemployment is rife since the steelworks closed.

10 Manchester
Lots of investment but still not a nice place to live.