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This east London borough is officially the city’s most miserable place to live

Rightmove has named one east London borough the third unhappiest place in the country in its Happy at Home Index 2024

Amy Houghton
Written by
Amy Houghton
Contributing writer
Barking in London
Photograph: Abdul_Shakoor / Shutterstock.com
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Each year in its Happy at Home Index, Rightmove surveys tens of thousands of Brits to find out how happy they are with where they live. And each year, we find out which UK hometowns are truly loved by their residents, and where people aren’t so keen. 

For its 2024 survey, Rightmove asked 35,000 people from towns, cities and villages across the UK about 15 happiness factors, including things like sense of community, access to green spaces, employment opportunities, cultural activities and access to amenities like good schools and doctors. 

Way, way down at the bottom of the list, in 218th place and supposedly London’s most miserable place to live, was the borough of Barking and Dagenham. Across the UK, B&R was beaten only by two places: Slough and Bradford. You can read more about why Slough placed last here.

Other London boroughs at the bottom of the heap were Croydon in 216th, Brent in 214th, Newham in 213th and Bexley in 212th. Last year’s most miserable borough, Hillingdon, was boosted up to 206th place nationally. 

But not all London boroughs are created equal. According to the survey, you’ll find London’s happiest residents in Richmond, which landed in second place nationally, just below a seaside town in Suffolk.  

The 10 unhappiest places to live in London, according to Rightmove’s 2024 Happy At Home Index

  1. Barking and Dagenham
  2. Croydon
  3. Brent
  4. Newham
  5. Bexley
  6. Havering
  7. Hillingdon
  8. Enfield
  9. Hounslow
  10. Sutton

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