Richmond upon Thames named the happiest place to live in Great Britain in 2026
Richmond upon Thames has taken first place in Rightmove’s 2026 Happy at Home Index. The west London borough returns to the top after winning in 2023 and coming second in 2025. This year, Rightmove surveyed more than 24,000 people across 221 places in Great Britain.
Read Rightmove’s full 2026 results.
Why is Richmond upon Thames such a happy place to live?
Richmond upon Thames came first for access to nature and green space. Residents also gave the borough particularly high marks for its shops and restaurants, everyday services such as schools and GP surgeries, and how proud they felt to live here.
As founder and director of Dwelling&Manor, and having been born and raised locally, I can see why access to green space came out on top. On Richmond Hill, you can be halfway through an ordinary day and take ten minutes to walk through Terrace Gardens and look out over the Thames. In Hampton, a walk past Garrick’s Temple or through Bushy Park can be part of your usual week. Seeing deer in Richmond or Bushy park feels so natural. In every corner there are commons, parks, streams, rivers, lakes, It’s how easily those places fit into everyday life that makes the borough special to me.
Where to live in Richmond upon Thames
- Richmond suits buyers who want the station, shops and restaurants within walking distance. Start around Richmond Green and the town centre, then walk up to Richmond Hill to get a feel for the quieter streets near Terrace Gardens.
- Hampton is worth exploring if a garden and easy access to green space are high on your list. Walk through the village, along the river by Garrick’s Temple and towards Bushy Park to see which part feels most like home.
- Teddington has a high street you can use for everyday errands, with independent shops and cafés along the way. When viewing, walk the route you’d use most often, whether that’s to the station, the high street or Teddington Lock.
- Twickenham puts Church Street and the riverside close together. Take a walk from the station through Church Street and on to York House Gardens to see how the town centre and river connect.
How much does it cost to live in Richmond upon Thames?
Rightmove put the average asking price in Richmond upon Thames at £1,021,256 in October 2026, with an average asking rent of £3,298 per month. If you’re deciding what to offer or where to set an asking price, start with what similar homes have sold for nearby. For a Richmond flat, outside space and the walk to the station can matter as much as the number of bedrooms. For a family house in Hampton, the garden, layout and scope to extend may be more important to the buyers you’re trying to reach.
See local sold-price and rental data in our Richmond upon Thames property market report.
Proud to represent Richmond upon Thames
At Dwelling & Manor, we're proud to be working in an area that means so much to us. We've always known it's the best place to live in the UK, to have it recognised in this way again means a great deal to us. At Dwelling & Manor, we’re proud to be the exclusive member of The Guild of Property Professionals for Richmond upon Thames. We’re independent estate agents in Richmond, working across the borough, including Hampton, Teddington, Twickenham and beyond. When you sell with us, you deal with one senior property professional from valuation through to completion, with our dedicated team supporting us in the background.
If you’re thinking of selling, we’d be happy to talk through what your home could achieve and how we’d bring it to market.