Based on “Best” being a subjective word, below is our methodology to compile the best places.
Using our existing ranking of the safest and cheapest places to live in Wales, we based our ranking on 3 criteria: safety, affordability and quality of life.
Our safety ranking methodology is based on a careful analysis of crimes, which is derived from the Office for National Statistics as of September 2023. Data from the UK Police website presents the average number of various crimes per 1000 people, categorized by Police Force Area (PFA).
These crimes include violence against the person, homicide, violence with injury, violence without injury, stalking and harassment, death or serious injury — unlawful driving, sexual offenses, robbery, theft offenses, burglary, residential burglary, non-residential burglary, vehicle offenses, theft from the person, bicycle theft, shoplifting, all other theft offenses, criminal damage, arson, drug offenses, possession of weapons offenses, public order offenses, and miscellaneous crimes against society.
Affordability takes into account the prices of housing and renting. We collected the data from UK House Price Index Wales in October 2023 and Zoopla.uk in February 2024. To help you compare, as of October 2023, the average property buying cost in England is £214,100 and the average rent for a 1-bedroom flat is £783.33 as of February 2024.
The “Best quality of life” aspect is measured based on feedback from real people who have moved to this area in our database or real people from trusted online forums. More specifically, we look for positive feedback on job opportunities, quality of education, quality of healthcare, feeling of safety, public transportation, environment (cleanliness), as well as availability of recreational facilities and parks.
