The index examines data at local authority (LA) level. In all 114 rural local authorities have been identified and analysed in this survey. An area is defined as rural if it lies in a town or village of less than 10,000 residents. A rural local authority is one where the majority of residents live in rural areas. Data has been gathered from sources including the ONS, DEFRA, the Met Office, the Department for Transport and the Halifax house price database.
Mid-Suffolk has the best quality of life amongst rural local authorities in Britain with some of the healthiest and longest living residents
South Cambridgeshire and East Hertfordshire follow Mid Suffolk in the top three rural areas
House prices trade at a premium to the average house price in their region in 22 of the top 30 rural local authorities with the best quality of life; the largest premium being in Chiltern (£124,370)
The East of England region has seven rural local authorities in the top ten
Harborough in the East Midlands has the best quality of life outside the south of England.
Aberdeenshire and Monmouthshire have the best quality of life in Scotland and Wales respectively
Fourteen of the top 30 rural authorities in this survey are also in the top 30 of the quality of life survey for all local authorities in Britain.
