If we asked you to guess the most popular place to rent in Britain outside the capital, what would you guess? Probably Manchester. Maybe Birmingham. Maybe you’d go rogue and say Edinburgh or Bristol; but you’d be wrong about them all. Sorry.
If, however, you guessed Wrexham, you’d be absolutely spot on. The city entered the public consciousness a few years ago when Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought its then non-league football team and brought all the glitz and glamour of California to the suburbs of north Wales, and clearly it’s worked to reinvigorate interest in the small welsh town.
Four years after the American takeover, Wrexham is now the most popular place for renters in the entire UK according to Rightmove, with an average of 54 inquiries on every rental property. To put it plainly, that’s a lot.
An expert from the company said: ‘To be receiving upwards of 50 enquiries per available rental property in some local areas is an astonishing figure… [a] significant amount of work still to be done to improve the balance of supply and demand across different areas of Great Britain.’
Unfortunately, no amount of work will bring the magic of Wrexham’s comeback anywhere else. It’s also one of the cheapest places to rent, so there’s no downsides. Why would you live anywhere else?
In second, more predictably, was Glasgow where an average of 52 renters showed interest in each property. Scotland’s biggest city was also home to one of Time Out’s coolest neighbourhoods of 2024, as was Bristol, which came in third, so we’re not surprised that they’re in high demand.
You can have a look at Rightmove’s full list here, which includes rental prices for each of the cities mentioned so you can really weigh up your options. Although some may be bigger or ‘cooler’ than others, only one comes with free visits from Deadpool. We know where we’re going.
Moving across the country?
Although it is the most fun, Wrexham isn't the only place worth moving to. Edinburgh will soon have a brand new neighbourhood by the sea, the Times has revealed its top student cities if you're off to uni, and this seaside town has also recently been named amonst the best places in the UK to live.
Did you see that the world’s biggest tidal barrier is being planned for Liverpool?
Plus: Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has adapted Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.