Moving To The Countryside WILL Make You Happier
Having relocated from our west London home to a Buckinghamshire village two years ago my husband and I frequently reflect on our decision, and cite is as one of the best we’ve ever made. With two young kids to bring up the sense of community, fresh air, and benefits of village life are, for us, win-win. And it seems we’re not alone…
A nationwide study of British adults living both in cities and the countryside has revealed that more than a third of those in rural areas consider themselves “mostly happy” – compared to under a quarter of city inhabitants.
And according to the research, as many as one in five who live in a city admit to being constantly stressed, compared to just ten percent of those who live in the countryside.
The survey also found people in the countryside are happier with their neighbourhoods than those living in cities. In fact, the study of 2,000 Britons revealed that urban residents were more likely to be worried about crime than their country counterparts, with over a quarter of city dwellers worrying about crime compared to just under a fifth of country residents.
While it’s true that our village Facebook page sometimes suggests a hotbed of crime – missing milk bottles, double parking, litter infestations and scattered stones to name but a few recent resident misdemeanors – the study found that city-dwellers are more concerned about safe neighbourhoods than their countryside counterparts, with more than one in five (21 per cent) expressing anxiety about their children having safe places to play, compared to 17 per cent of rural dwellers.
One of the reasons we moved to a village was for our children to benefit from a local school education – being able to walk to school, have classmates as neighbours, and not become part of the daily commute and rush hour. We feel their health, education and mental wellbeing is all enhanced by attending the village school. They also benefit from a thriving school community where local people support the school, and its fundraising efforts. Parents living in cities also admitted to being more worried about the quality of schools, and twice as likely to worry about air quality than people who live in the country.
However, the study commissioned by Yopa, which launched its 2019 Commuter Guide, revealed that despite country dwellers being generally happier – there are downsides relating to living in the sticks, the main bugbears to emerge were a lack of decent public transport (41 per cent) and as many as 40 percent of those living outside of a city said they often feel lonely and cut off. With one bus an hour leaving our village (if you’re lucky) I can sympathise with the former, but we are fortunate that the strength of our local community means the latter is never an issue. However, that may be becasue we are just 30 miles from London in a busy part of Buckinghamshire, and not the Scottish Highlands or Welsh Valleys!
Benefits of living in a city, were given as great public transport (42 per cent), a vibrant nightlife (35 per cent) and a wider choice of work and career options (30 per cent). Again, where you can commute from, and how ‘country’ your country life is would play major parts in raising these concerns.
However as many as three quarters of people living in cities said they would jump at the chance of moving to the countryside, with the main obstacle holding people back being the cost of commuting back into town (32 per cent).
But according to the data, a fifth of people living in cities worry about the cost of housing and being able to afford a property that is big enough for their family. They are also more likely to be anxious about being scammed and identity theft than those who live in outside the city (16 per cent compared to 13 per cent).
Those living in the country spend less time commuting, a smaller percentage of their income on housing, and are more likely to know the names of their neighbours than city dwellers.
Ben Poynter, CEO of Yopa told Belle About Town: “People often ask themselves whether they should live close to work or move out of town for more space and a better quality of life. But, with so many factors to consider, people often give up before they even start.
“Help is at hand, Yopa, working with its local agents, have launched The Commuter Guide 2019 which helps homeowners easily compare different areas by the metrics that are important to them.”
Interestingly, the over 60s place more value on fresh air and nature than younger generations, with nearly eight out of ten (78 per cent) saying country air is essential to their peace of mind, compared to just 58 per cent of 16-to-29-year-olds; and 77 per cent said that the proximity to nature is a positive to country living, compared to just 50 per cent of the younger generation.
Top ten UK commuter towns (according to Yopa’s 2019 London Commuter Guide):
- St Albans, Hertfordshire
- Luton, Bedfordshire
- Birmingham, West Midlands
- Brighton, East Sussex
- Redhill, Surrey
- Reading, Berkshire
- Windsor, Berkshire
- Three Bridges, West Sussex
- Stevenage, Hertfordshire
- Slough, Berkshire
- What do you think? Could you ditch the city for a slower-paced life? Join the debate on our Facebook page, or comment below.
