Doncaster is named one of the happiest places in the UK in new survey

The survey ranked Doncaster as the fifth happiest spot in Britain, with only Hull, Liverpool, Portsmouth and Brighton ranked higher.

The study, conducted by OutdoorToys, looked into several factors which make for a happy and well-balanced family life to find out which areas of the UK can be crowned as home to the happiest families.

A spokesman said: “Choosing somewhere to live is dependent on many factors that ensure a comfortable family life, happiness being one of them and Doncaster is home to the 5th most happiest families in the UK.”

Salaries, house prices, the range of things to do, how safe people felt and the quality of schools were used to compile the findings, with cities being ranked on a happiness score out of 10.

Doncaster took fifth place as the area with the happiest families in the UK, with an overall score of 5.90.

A spokesman for Outdoor Toys said: “The area has five things to do per 10,000 people and a safety index score of 38.39, making it perfect for families who are looking to spend time together in a safe environment.

"Doncaster also has 68% of schools with a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating, making it one to consider for those who want the best education for their little ones.”

Both Liverpool and Hull can be crowned as the areas with the happiest families in the UK, with an overall score of 6.35/10. Liverpool shares the top spot thanks to its rich history and reputation as a cultural hub in the northwest, so there are plenty of activities for families; with 29 activities per 10,000 people, it ranks second in this factor. The city also has one of the lowest average house prices (£150,000) and the highest Ofsted ratings, with 82% rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’, placing it in the top five for both factors.

Hull shares first place in the ranking thanks to its cheap cost of living. The Yorkshire port city has the lowest average house price in the index at £127,500 and ranks in the top 10 for the cheapest utility bills (£151 monthly). Hull also ranks highly for its school ratings, ranking in the top ten for this factor, with 81% of schools rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’.

Taking second place as the area home to the happiest families is Portsmouth, with an overall score of 6.16/10. The seaside city has one of the cheapest utility bills of the areas looked at, costing £119 monthly and placing second for the factor. It’s also one of the best cities for its climate, placing second for its high average temperature of 11ºC.

Salford takes the unfortunate title of the city with the unhappiest families, scoring a mere 3.09 out of 10.

York is the city with the most things to do, with 34 per 10,000 people, making it perfect for families who are looking to have some fun!

Wigan is the town with the highest Ofsted ratings, as 86% of the schools here are rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’.

You can find the full research here: https://www.outdoortoys.com/blogs/campaigns/the-uk-family-happiness-report