Areas were compared using measures including recorded crime, life satisfaction, access to green space, travel times to employment centres and broadband speeds.
Swindon received an overall score of 7.32 out of 10, ahead of Newcastle upon Tyne on 7.07 and Warrington on 7.06.
The town also ranked significantly higher than nearby Oxford, which placed sixth with an overall score of 6.55.
According to the study, Swindon recorded 69.6 crimes per 1,000 people. This compared with 107.4 in Newcastle upon Tyne and 96.3 in Oxford.
Swindon’s life satisfaction score was 7.43 out of 10, while the study recorded 39.9 square metres of green space per person.
The average journey to an employment centre by public transport and walking was calculated at 10.3 minutes.
Median broadband download speeds in Swindon were recorded at 145.3Mbps.
Other areas performed better than Swindon on individual measures, but the town achieved the highest overall score when the factors were combined.
Milton Keynes recorded 59.3 square metres of green space per person, while Oxford had the highest life satisfaction score among the leading areas at 7.80.
Luton recorded a median broadband download speed of 208.7Mbps, while Newcastle upon Tyne had an employment centre journey time of 7.6 minutes.
Ipswich completed the top five with a score of 6.89, behind Milton Keynes on 7.02.
Oxford was sixth, followed by Luton and Northampton. Salford and York shared ninth place with scores of 6.04.
Leader of Swindon Borough Council, Gary Sumner said,
“In our hearts we all know Swindon is a great, safe and inclusive place to live. There will always be things to do better, but for our residents and our children Swindon represents opportunity and as we saw from the ‘Big Clean Up’ a town prepared to step forward and show they are proud.
Big businesses are becoming increasingly confident in our town and are investing hundreds of millions of pounds which will create the jobs and prosperity we all want.”
Jake Chandler, Deputy Leader of Swindon Borough Council said:
“Very much agree with the report recognising the value provided to Swindon by its vital green spaces, employment prospects and infrastructure.
While this does not distract from the improvement objectives we have set out as a Council, this reports aligns with our desire for Swindonians to be prouder and have higher aspirations for Swindon.”
Jack Malnick, Managing Director at Sell House Fast, said:
“Property prosperity isn’t only about how much a home costs or how quickly its value has grown. Crime, wellbeing, green space access and transport connections can all influence which areas people consider among the best places to live in the UK.”
He added: “People don’t just want a ‘nice house’ anymore; it goes beyond that. They want somewhere that supports their lifestyle, routines and family dynamics. They want easier commutes, green space for escaping, reliable internet, and sense of safety.”
The wider Property Prosperity Index also considers affordability and investment potential alongside quality of life.
The findings place Swindon at the top of the study’s quality-of-life rankings for 2026.
