London’s happiest boroughs have officially been revealed - and there are spots on both sides of the river, for once

London is home to many different boroughs, each with its own identity, making it feel as though you could have travelled across different parts of England whilst staying within the zones of the Underground. It’s pretty well known that the likes of Hampstead are always touted as the top spots, the leafy and wholesome spots are filled with your fave celebs all bagging their own property on London’s Thames - or close enough.

Property search engine Rightmove has released the top 10 index for 2025, with two London boroughs firmly in the primo positions.

Nationwide, the top spot was clinched by Skipton in North Yorkshire, shooting up from its previously held spot at number six. The town knocked Woodbridge in Suffolk from the top spot in the annual Happy at Home Index.

London typically has only one borough that makes it into the top 10, but this year, two spots made the list, with Richmond and Camden taking second and third place, respectively, in the nationwide rankings.

Richmond made the list for its 11th consecutive year, and retained the title as the happiest place to live in London, ranking highly for its access to both essential services and non-essential amenities - aka cute restaurants and cafes. Pretty much everyone knows, though, that this kind of lovely living doesn’t come cheap, with house prices averaging £942,500.

Across the river, Camden shot up the rankings and has taken a top spot for the first time in the study’s 14-year history. This is thanks to its access to huge parks like Hampstead Heath and Regent’s Park, its schools - both private and state - and its physical beauty. For both Camden and Richmond, community was a huge factor – as was Ted Lasso, which apparently has inspired quite a few Americans to hop the pond and settle down in a ‘traditional’ English area. Although, house prices have an average asking price of £1.04 million, so it’s probably still on the longterm wishlist for most of us.

• Alley Cats is bringing New York style pizza slices to Portobello Road

Skip the search — follow Shortlist on Google News to get our best lists, news, features and reviews at the top of your feeds!