With the cost-of-living crisis affecting many families across the UK, choosing a location that is right for your brood is more important than ever. It’s not just affordability that you need to consider but also low crime rates, green space availability, and access to top schools.
Fortunately, there are countless destinations across the country that are great places to raise a family. We’ve collated this information to produce our three top family-friendly locations in the UK for 2024.
St Andrews
The coastal gem of St Andrews is well known for being the meeting place of Price William and Kate Middleton and has been featured in the hit series The Crown. Aside from this, it is a great location to raise a family in the UK. It was even the highest-ranked Scottish destination to live in the UK in 2024.
With a prestigious university and various reputable schools, including Madras College and Grove Academy, it’s the perfect choice for parents who value education. While house prices tend to be higher than other areas of the UK, homes are much larger in size and are close to the beautiful coastline – and a burgeoning food scene.
In addition, public transport here is highly reliable and the town is deemed very safe, with a low crime rate.
Newcastle
A city famous for its friendly residents, Newcastle is the ideal place to raise a young family. With the countryside and coast directly on your doorstep, there are many opportunities to get out and about with the kids and make ever-lasting memories.
Newcastle is also well regarded for its schools, several of which have been awarded the coveted status of ‘Outstanding’ on their most recent Ofsted inspections. This includes Westgate Hill Primary Academy, West Jesmond Primary School, Hilton Primary Academy, and many more.
House prices in the city are also affordable compared with the country’s average. Areas like Leafy Jesmond, Fenham, and Sandyford are all highly popular among families. You’ll find a variety of property types including townhouses, terraced houses, and state-of-the-art new build homes in Newcastle.
Wigan
Often referred to as the ‘happiest town in Greater Manchester’, Wigan finishes our list of family-friendly locations to live in the UK. As a popular commuter town, you can be sure that there are efficient links to other major cities and house prices remain relatively low.
Having places to spend your free time with the kids is also important. Luckily, Wigan has a range of sporting activities, shopping centres, and outdoor attractions to enjoy the weekends together. In fact, Wigan has around 113 parks and playgrounds – plenty of opportunities to let the kids run free!
Along with moderate crime rates and warm local communities, education ranks higher than the average here, and there are numerous outstanding schools like Golborne High School and Bedford High School.