Best places to retire in the UK revealed
Whether you’ve always dreamt of escaping the commuter belt or being beside the seaside, the decision of where to retire can be just as important as when.
When we surveyed Which? members, 36% of those at or near retirement told us they had moved house or were considering moving house as part of later-life plans.
Healthcare access (88%) topped the list of important factors, followed by green space (75%) and proximity to local leisure activities (31%). Many also highlighted low crime levels.
Based on these and other related criteria, we’ve identified the areas in the UK that have the most to offer retirees across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Quiz: where should you retire?
Try our quiz to find out the most suitable area for you, or skip to our table below to see the full list of areas:
The best places in the UK to retire
This table presents the best places to retire in the UK for each of the nine English regions, as well as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scores are out of 10.
| High Peak | East Midlands | 6 | 7.9 | 6 | £242,000 |
| Broxbourne | East of England | 7 | 7.8 | 8.3 | £425,000 |
| Merton | London | 9.4 | 7.6 | 9.6 | £560,000 |
| South Tyneside | North East | 7.3 | 7.4 | 9.1 | £145,000 |
| Stockport | North West | 7.8 | 7.6 | 9.2 | £285,000 |
| Elmbridge | South East | 5.9 | 7.5 | 6.7 | £685,000 |
| Exeter | South West | 8 | 7.2 | 7.1 | £295,000 |
Table note: scores for England are not directly comparable with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
How to plan for retirement
Check your state pension forecast
Under current rules you’ll qualify for the state pension when you turn 66. This is worth £203.85 a week (£10,600 a year) at its full level in 2023-24, but how much you get depends on your National Insurance record.
See gov.uk/check-statepension to find out how much you’re entitled to and ways to increase it, if you can.
Track down lost pension pots
You should receive an annual statement for any private schemes you’ve been a member of, telling you the value of your pension. This might not happen if the scheme doesn’t have the correct details for you – for example, if you’ve changed jobs and moved away.
You can visit gov.uk/find-lostpension to check contact details for ‘lost’ pensions.
Understand your options
You can access your retirement savings when you turn 55. It’s up to you how you do this – you can choose to take a lump sum, buy an annuity, keep it invested (pension drawdown) or any combination of these options.
For additional guidance, over-50s can book a free Pension Wise appointment for themselves at gov.uk/pensionwise.
- Find out more: How much will you need to retire?
Methodology
We gathered data based on what Which? members at or near retirement told us was important to them and used this to calculate an overall score for each local authority (survey of 1,192 Which? members, May 2023).
The final list is made up of the top-scoring local authority for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and for each region of England. Due to the differing availability of data, scores are not directly comparable between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The healthcare score in England was based on the average distance to the nearest GP and the average distance to the nearest pharmacy. Healthcare in Scotland and Wales was based on GP surgeries per 10,000 people, and in Northern Ireland on surgeries per 100,000 registered patients.
Happiness scores come from surveys by the Office for National Statistics, asking respondents to rate their happiness out of 10.
Parks and playing fields is based on the average number of of parks and playing fields within 1km (not available for NI).
Crime rates and house price affordability also factored into the final scores, as well as wider health and happiness scores. Also factored in for England was the average distance to the nearest sports/leisure facilities.
Sources: Office for National Statistics, NHS Scotland, Scottish Government statistics, Public Health Wales, NISRA.
