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.
9. Pudsey - 5th
The market town of Pudsey, between Bradford and Leeds, is the 5th best place to live in Yorkshire and the Humber, according to Garrington Property Finders, and the 52nd best place in England and Wales. It was ranked 283rd out of 1,447 cities, towns and villages nationally for schools, employment and connectivity; 1,158th for wellbeing; 110th for natural environment; 81st for heritage/culture; and 360th for house price, quality and value. The average price of a family home there is £373,959, having risen by 0.82% in the last year. | Google Photo: Google
10. Knaresborough - 4th
Knaresborough is the 4th best place to live in Yorkshire and the Humber, according to Garrington Property Finders, and the 48th best place in England and Wales. It was ranked 190th out of 1,447 cities, towns and villages nationally for schools, employment and connectivity; 364th for wellbeing; 860th for natural environment; 398th for heritage/culture; and 145th for house price, quality and value. The average price of a family home there is £469,615, having risen by 6.16% in the last year. | Getty Images Photo: Christopher Furlong
11. Skipton - 3rd
Skipton is the 3rd best place to live in Yorkshire and the Humber, according to Garrington Property Finders, and the 45th best place in England and Wales. It was ranked 99th out of 1,447 cities, towns and villages nationally for schools, employment and connectivity; 377th for wellbeing; 804th for natural environment; 414th for heritage/culture; and 249th for house price, quality and value. The average price of a family home there is £387,167, having risen by 0.38% in the last year. | National World Photo: Jonathan Gawthorpe
12. Harrogate - 2nd
Harrogate is the 2nd best place to live in Yorkshire and the Humber, according to Garrington Property Finders, and the 25th best place in England and Wales. It was ranked 219th out of 1,447 cities, towns and villages nationally for schools, employment and connectivity; 871st for wellbeing; 11th for natural environment; 146th for heritage/culture; and 515th for house price, quality and value. The average price of a family home there is £469,232, having risen by 7.51% in the last year. | National World Photo: Gerard Binks