Swansea

Swansea ranks as the third-best UK city for raising children

Swansea has ranked in the top 3 UK cities to bring up children, with low pollution, low levels of crime and a high quality of life.

Published

1 year ago

21st March 2023

Editor

Choosing where to settle down to raise a family is difficult for any parent, as some cities and countries have more to offer than others, but which UK cities are the best for raising children?

To find out, Comparethemarket’s life insurance team has analysed various metrics for the most populated towns and cities in the UK to reveal the best locations for people looking to settle down and start a family.

Middlesbrough is the UK’s top location for raising a family, with low rent, low pollution and high quality of life score. Aberdeen came second, with Swansea ranking as the third-best UK city for raising children.

Rank	City/town	The average rent for a 3-bed property (£)	The average property price per m2 (£)	Pollution index (out of 100)	Crime index (out of 100)	Quality of life score (out of 240)
1	Middlesbrough	£600	£2,300	20	44	197
2	Aberdeen	£827	£2,171	27	33	195
3	Swansea	£1,000	£1,395	24	34	187
4	Stoke-on-Trent	£723	£850	43	44	182
5	Norwich	£1,157	£2,350	37	26	184
6	Leicester	£900	£1,900	34	44	179
7	Edinburgh	£1,188	£3,231	28	30	183
8	Milton Keynes	£1,320	£3,000	18	50	201
9	Cardiff	£1,070	£2,200	33	37	174
10	Newcastle upon Tyne	£933	£2,228	33	38	179

How much does it cost to buy and rent in the UK’s top 10 cities for families?

It’s cheaper for families to rent in Middlesbrough than any other UK city analysed, with a three-bedroom apartment costing an average of just £600 per month. However, if you’re looking to buy rather than rent, Bournemouth is the most cost-effective city to purchase a property at £708 per square metre.

Rank	City	Average rent for 3-bed (£)	Average property price per m²(£)
1	Stoke-on-Trent	£723	£850
2	Kingston upon Hull	£628	£1,243
3	Bradford	£825	£1,463
4	Middlesbrough	£600	£2,300
5	Swindon	£1,025	£1,267
6	Swansea	£1,000	£1,395
7	Liverpool	£873	£1,918
8	Bournemouth	£1,210	£708
=9	Leicester	£900	£1,900
=9	Aberdeen	£827	£2,171
10	Belfast	£856	£2,400

Which UK locations have the lowest crime rates?

Our research found that Norwich has the lowest crime rates when compared to other UK locations in the ranking, with a low score of 26 out of 100. The Scottish cities of Edinburgh and Aberdeen follow with 31 and 34.

Rank	City/Town	Crime index score
1	Norwich	26
2	Edinburgh	31
3	Aberdeen	34
4	Swansea	35
5	Brighton	37
6	Cardiff	38
7	Newcastle upon Tyne	39
8	Plymouth	40
9	Bristol	41
10	Bournemouth	41

Where are the least polluted locations in the UK?

We tend to associate better air quality with the countryside, which could inspire many parents to venture beyond major cities like London. Milton Keynes has the lowest pollution levels with an index score of 19 out of 100, while Middlesbrough and Swansea follow with 20 and 24 respectively.

Rank	City	Pollution index score
1	Milton Keynes	19
2	Middlesbrough	20
3	Swansea	24
4	Brighton	26
5	Belfast	27
6	Aberdeen	28
7	Edinburgh	29
8	Derby	30
9	Liverpool	31
10	Sheffield	31

Which UK locations offer the best quality of life for families?

Milton Keynes also offers families the best quality of life, with a score of 202 out of a possible 240. Middlesbrough, which ranks number one overall, comes second with a score of 198 and Aberdeen follows closely behind with 196.

Rank	City	Quality of Life Score
1	Milton Keynes	202
2	Middlesbrough	198
3	Aberdeen	196
4	Swansea	188
5	Norwich	185
6	Edinburgh	184
7	Stoke-on-Trent	182
8	Portsmouth	181
9	Leicester	179
10	Newcastle upon Tyne	179

Anna McEntee, life insurance expert at Comparethemarket said: “When we become parents, our priorities completely change and what were once important factors to us are no longer necessities as we grow our family, so choosing where to live can often be a difficult choice.

“Wanting the best for our families is a natural feeling, and life insurance can be a welcome safety net if you want to protect your family. Life insurance can be combined with other products, such as critical illness cover, to pay your bills if you are unable to work. It’s important to thoroughly research different types of life insurance to ensure the policy you opt for offers the right level of protection for your family.”

You can read Comparethemarket’s full research here.