ROMSEY is in the bottom half of the league when it comes to the best places to live, according to property experts.

According to Garrington Property Finders' annual report, Romsey ranked 826 out of 1,447 towns and villages in England and Wales, with a population above 5,000 and 23rd in Hampshire. Netley was first.

To the disappointment of many residents, the Test Valley town was placed lower than Southampton (519) and Portsmouth (582). Holbury (1381) was the lowest-rated town in Hampshire, just below Eastleigh (1380). 

Southampton (Image: Newsquest) Nationally, the top five towns and villages were: Redbourn; Epsom; Whitburn (South Tyneside); Marple; and St Albans. The bottom five towns and villages were: Minster (Swale); Goole; Bridgend; Peterlee; and Staveley (Chesterfield).

Each location was marked in five categories, contributing to its 'overall rank.' These were: natural environment, wellbeing; heritage/culture, schools, environment and connectivity and house price quality and value.

Romsey's highest ranking came in 'wellbeing', where it was placed at 304, but, for its natural environment, the town was one of lowest, at 1,253.

On its website, Garrington said: "[The]Best Places to Live report 2025 is an impartial, objective ranking based on publicly available data. The ranking is not based on subjective or personal opinions.

"Our data team compiled data in a total of 18 categories, including proximity to open space, National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, numbers of listed and period homes, air quality, crime figures and the percentage of homes with their closest primary school ranked Outstanding by Ofsted."

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It continued: "Our report is NOT a league table of the ‘best and worst places to live’. On the contrary, the research only ranks the best places to live, so being included – whether at number 1 or number 1447 – is to be applauded."

In its data sources, the company used The Office for National Statistics, Scottish Government, Welsh Government, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Land Registry, Royal Mail, Ordnance Survey, Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, Scottish Natural Heritage, DEFRA, BEIS, NapTAN (Ministry for Transport), PCT and Historic England.

At a glance, these are the locations that ranked highest this year – these are the 'Best Places to Live 2025':

  • Redbourn, Hertfordshire;
  • Epsom, Surrey;
  • Whitburn, Tyne and Wear;
  • Marple, Greater Manchester;
  • St Albans, Hertfordshire;
  • Alnwick, Northumberland;
  • Merley, Dorset;
  • Ewell, Surrey;
  • Chigwell, Essex;
  • Ashtead, Surrey.