“Cheer up, it may never happen.” Well, today, it has. Birmingham has been named one of the unhappiest places to live in the country. Each year, Rightmove asks thousands of people across Great Britain how they feel about where they live—and apparently Brummies are low on civic pride.
Taking into account factors such as access to green spaces, local services, amenities and employment opportunities, the happiest places in Britain are Richmond upon Thames in London, Harrogate in Yorkshire, and Cirencester in the South West.
Where is Birmingham?
The West Midlands doesn’t even crack the top ten when it comes to Happy at Home 2026 rankings. Lichfield is named the 14th happiest place in Great Britain, followed by Leamington Spa (25th) and Shrewsbury (34th). A little more local, Tamworth is 36th, and Sutton Coldfield is 37th.
To find Birmingham on the list, you will need to scroll all the way down to 210th. The list only goes to 221 (a spot filled by London’s Barking and Dagenham), making Birmingham one of the unhappiest places in the UK. Could be worse, though—Walsall is 220th.
The happiest place in the West Midlands:
- Lichfield (14)
- Leamington Spa (25)
- Shrewsbury (34)
- Tamworth (36)
- Sutton Coldfield (37)
- Stourbridge (42)
- Stratford-on-Avon (57)
- Worcester (63)
- Telford (92)
- Stafford (107)
- Hereford (111)
- Solihull (143)
- Burton on Trent (147)
- Stoke on Trent (152)
- Coventry (184)
- Dudley (193)
- Wolverhampton (209)
- Birmingham (210)
- Walsall (220)
You can see the complete Happy at Home 2026 rankings here.
