Nearly 1,450 cities, towns and villages across England and Wales have been ranked in Garrington Property Finders’ list of the Best Places to Live in 2026.
The peaceful and picturesque village of Rawdon, in West Yorkshire, is the best place to live in Yorkshire and the second best nationally, according to the newly published guide.
Garrington described how Rawdon offers the best of both worlds, with ‘great landscapes, panoramic views, and easy access to Leeds’.
Rawdon, located just six miles from Leeds city centre, scored particularly highly for natural environment and heritage/culture.
It is also rated as one of the best value places to buy a house, with the price of an average family home there having fallen by 0.3% in the last year, to £451,094.
Garrington rated 1,447 cities, towns and villages across England and Wales on five criteria to determine their overall ranking. Those criteria were: wellbeing; schools, employment and connectivity; natural environment; heritage/culture; and house price, quality and value.
Rawdon was one of 10 places across Leeds to make the top 100.
Below are the 13 best places to live in Yorkshire and the Humber in 2026, according to Garrington Property Finders, listed in reverse order.
Is your area among them, and where do you think is the best place to live in Yorkshire?
For more regional property news, check out our list of the places around Yorkshire where most homes are rising in value.
5. Ecclesfield and Grenoside - 9th
Ecclesfield and Grenoside, in Sheffield, is the 9th best place to live in Yorkshire and the Humber, according to Garrington Property Finders, and the 92nd best place in England and Wales. It was ranked 658th out of 1,447 cities, towns and villages nationally for schools, employment and connectivity; 805th for wellbeing; 295th for natural environment; 302nd for heritage/culture; and 198th for house price, quality and value. The average price of a family home there is £367,670, having risen by 4.10% in the last year. | Google Photo: Google
6. Huntington - 8th
Huntington, York, is the 8th best place to live in Yorkshire and the Humber, according to Garrington Property Finders, and the 88th best place in England and Wales. It was ranked 623rd out of 1,447 cities, towns and villages nationally for schools, employment and connectivity; 325th for wellbeing; 976th for natural environment; 218th for heritage/culture; and 98th for house price, quality and value. The average price of a family home there is £497,022, having risen by 9.64% in the last year. | Google Photo: Google
7. Sheffield -7th
Sheffield is the 7th best place to live in Yorkshire and the Humber, according to Garrington Property Finders, and the 78th best place in England and Wales. It was ranked 303rd out of 1,447 cities, towns and villages nationally for schools, employment and connectivity; 1,357th for wellbeing; 85th for natural environment; 97th for heritage/culture; and 329th for house price, quality and value. The average price of a family home there is £346,212, having fallen by 0.87% in the last year. | teamjackson - stock.adobe.com Photo: teamjackson - stock.adobe.com
8. Guiseley - 6th
Guiseley, West Yorkshire, is the 6th best place to live in Yorkshire and the Humber, according to Garrington Property Finders, and the 59th best place in England and Wales. It was ranked 351st out of 1,447 cities, towns and villages nationally for schools, employment and connectivity; 716th for wellbeing; 232nd for natural environment; 300th for heritage/culture; and 447th for house price, quality and value. The average price of a family home there is £432,504, having fallen by 0.47% in the last year. | Google Photo: Google