A new survey has named Bristol the best place in the South West, as well as the joint fourth best place in England, to have a family. Of Bristolians polled, 85 percent said the city – beaten only by St Albans, Warrington and Newcastle – was a good place to raise children.
Hammonds Furniture commissioned the survey of 2,000 UK adults, which asked residents of 35 towns about the cost of living, quality of living, childcare costs, quality of schools and house prices in their area, as well as their satisfaction with living there. The research also asked Bristolians for the most family-friendly part of the city, with Horfield coming out on top.
Overall, Bristol scored 70 out of a possible 100 points, alongside York. Contributing to this high score was the quality of local schools, a fifth of which are rated “outstanding” by Ofsted. Most parents and would-be parents surveyed said this was the most important factor for them when choosing somewhere to settle.
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The city scored low when the ratio of house prices and childcare costs was considered. The average Bristol home costs £361,837, while local nurseries cost an average of £1,046 per month.
But 95 percent of those adults surveyed did not feel that childcare costs were a top priority to them, despite recent research finding that the average cost of a full-time nursery place in Britain is over £269 a week for children under two. And 92 percent of those asked said house price would not be a top factor either.
Overall, 83 percent of respondents in the South West said they would be happy to raise children here – the second highest score after East of England, which pipped the region by just two percentage points.
Kirsty Oakes, head of product and marketing at Hammonds Furniture, said: “It’s clear to see that when choosing where to live as a family, some factors are much more important to Brits than others. And based on the UK’s priorities, some places are better suited to raising children than others.
“We hope that for those who are looking to move somewhere more child-friendly, these rankings can be a way to help narrow down their search and find an area that’ll fit their family’s needs.”
The top 10 places in England to raise a family:
- St Albans – 83% family-friendly score
Warrington – 78%
Newcastle upon Tyne – 71%
York – 70%
Bristol – 70%
Liverpool – 69%
Bath – 68%
Kingston upon Hull – 66%
Plymouth – 65%
London – 65%
The top 10 places in England to raise a family:
Coventry – 28%
Middlesbrough – 29%
Wolverhampton – 40%
Bradford – 41%
Derby – 42%
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