Parents looking to give their children the best start in life should move to Hertfordshire, which has just been named as the best place to raise a family in the UK.
According to the first Better Family Life Index from uSwitch.com, Hertfordshire is the best place for top GCSE grades, good pay and weather, close proximity to GPs and fast broadband.
The Index, which ranks 138 local authorities on 33 factors important to family life, found the top three regions are all in the East of England.
Cambridgeshire took top spot with Central Bedfordshire in second place, followed by Warrington and York.
Hertfordshire boasts the third highest employment rate in England with 81% of residents aged 16-64 in work and earning a healthy average gross salary of £33,435.
The area benefits from fast average broadband download speeds of 38Mbs and is seventh in the UK in exam results, with 64% of pupils achieving five or more A*- C grades at GCSE, including English and mathematics.
uSwitch said the top regions benefited from their close proximity to local amenities, being on average just nine minutes to away from their GP and just under 10 minutes from their local primary school – compared to the average of almost 12 minutes.
Those living in the East of England also manage to spend more time with their loved ones than many other regions in the country, clocking up four hours 51 minutes of quality time on an average day. They receive two days more holiday than the UK average of 25 days and even say they sleep better than many of their regional counterparts, enjoying seven hours a night on average compared to the UK average of six hours 48 minutes.
Scotland fared least well, with East and North Ayrshire taking the last spot due to higher crime, lower exam results, lower pay and less time spent with loved ones.
Second from bottom and ranked worst in England was Leicester with the fourth worst employment in UK, fewer primary schools, high council tax and poor exam results.
Tashema Jackson, uSwitch.com money expert, said: “The Better Family Life Index shows that life is far from equal for families across the UK. Although there is much to celebrate in many areas, it’s not surprising that so many families are thinking about moving to a new region to improve their circumstances.
“For many consumers, the prospect of increased uncertainty in the run up to Brexit may be a turning point, leading us to re-evaluate both how we manage our household budgets and how we provide stability for our families in the future. Policymakers would do well to follow suit. With the new government yet to announce its budgetary priorities it is vital that positive changes are made to help give all families fair opportunities no matter where they live – whether it is access to a good education, childcare, housing, GPs or jobs. Quality of life should not be a postcode lottery.
“In the meantime households can take an honest look at their budgets to see if there are any savings they can make to improve their own standard of living. Even simple steps such as switching energy or your broadband provider could put hundreds of pounds back into the household kitty.”
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