MALVERN Hills residents are happier and healthier than most people across the West Midlands, a survey has revealed.
The area was only beaten into second place in Halifax’s annual Quality of Life survey by Stratford-on-Avon, with Warwick, Wychavon and Lichfield completing the top five.
The ranking, which takes into account residents’ happiness, traffic levels and employment among other factors, means Malvern just missed out on a place in the top 40 in the country – placing at number 41.
Average weekly earnings of £629, a traffic flow of 1,822 per square kilometre and an average life expectancy for men of 80.4 years helped push Malvern near to the top of the list.
A life satisfaction rating of 7.6 out of ten, average primary class sizes of 24.7 pupils and one of the lowest crime rates in the West Midlands – also saw the district fare well in the rankings.
Harriett Baldwin, MP for West Worcestershire which includes two of the areas in the West Midlands’ top five, said: “I have always said that Malvern Hills and Wychavon are the very best places to live and work – this survey rather underrates us.
“The combination of great schools, hospitals, varied culture and beautiful scenery in the heart of Great Britain contribute to a place where people want to set up home and bring up a family or retire.”
Malvern was the highest ranked in Worcestershire, with Wychavon coming fourth, Bromsgrove sixth, Wyre Forest 12th, Redditch 14th and Worcester 17th.
Herefordshire came out 11th in the West Midlands and 123rd across the country.
Whilst their crime rate was only higher than Staffordshire Moorlands and the traffic flow of 802 was the lowest in the region, their average weekly earnings of £537 and an average class size at primary school age of 27 saw them drop slightly down the rankings.
Life satisfaction of county residents was rated as 7.6 – the same as Malvern – while men could expect to live 0.3 years longer with an average life expectancy of 80.7.
