Family Investments has published its Family Friendly Hotspots Report, identifying the top 20 postcodes offering the best range of essential and desirable factors for family living.
The study investigated factors that cover the essentials of family living, including:
Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 4 results
School inspection outcomes
Quantity and quality of Early Years care
Local crime figures
Property affordability (based on average house prices and local salaries)
Alongside these elements, lifestyle factors were also considered, which combine together to create the perfect backdrop for a happy family life, these included:
Existing population of parents with young children
Parks and green spaces
Local leisure centres
Zoos and farms
Museums and theatres
The top location for family living, is a vibrant Devon village situated between Dartmoor and Exmoor. It has a Post Office, a butcher’s shop, a wet fish shop, general stores, a vets and a doctors’ surgery. There is also a lively community centre, a village hall and a sports centre. The local primary school has excellent attainment at Key Stage 2, with results well above the national average. The village also has very low reported levels of crime compared to the national average.
In terms of property prices and affordability, salaries in Winkleigh are well above the national average at £37,566, while the average value of a two-bed roomed property is below the national average – suggesting that property in the area is relatively affordable.
Kate Moore, head of savings and investments at Family Investments said, “While we recognise that not everyone can lead a village life like the lucky residents of Winkleigh, our number one hotspot, we hope the factors we’ve identified will help families across the country when considering a new area to live. As parents, we might research local schools or house prices, but this new report brings all these elements and a great deal more together to create the first ever holistic picture of the best places for families to live.”
