Westhoughton, near Bolton, is the 14th best place to live in the North West, according to Garrington, and the 100th best across England and Wales as a whole. It ranks 657th out of 1,447 places for house price, quality and value, 334th for heritage and culture, 168th for natural environment, 134th for schools, employment and connectivity, and 948th for wellbeing. The average price of a family home there has risen by 6.70 per cent in the last year to £373,640.placeholder image
Westhoughton, near Bolton, is the 14th best place to live in the North West, according to Garrington, and the 100th best across England and Wales as a whole. It ranks 657th out of 1,447 places for house price, quality and value, 334th for heritage and culture, 168th for natural environment, 134th for schools, employment and connectivity, and 948th for wellbeing. The average price of a family home there has risen by 6.70 per cent in the last year to £373,640. | Google

The 14 best places to live in the North West, where family homes are becoming better value

The best places to live in England and Wales have been revealed, with 14 spots in the North West making the top 100.

Garrington Property Finders has ranked more than 1,400 towns, cities and villages across England and Wales based on a number of criteria, including the culture and heritage, the natural environment, schools and job opportunities.

Its analysis includes an in-depth look at how affordable homes in each area are for families, based on the average cost of a larger house there and how house prices have changed over the last year.

Siz places in the north west of England make Garrington’s top 50 nationally, with one in the top five.

House prices have fallen in some of the places listed but have risen by up to five per cent over the last year in others.

Below are the top 14 places to live in the North West, according to Garrington, in reverse order.

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