Staycation and surfing hotspot St Ives has been crowned the happiest place to live in Great Britain.
The town topped the list of places where residents are most content by Rightmove, which looked into how people feel about their local areas.
The Cornish former fishing community and haven for artists was far from the only coastal hotspot high up the rankings though, with Poole and Weymouth in Dorset as well as Falmouth and Plymouth in the South West also making the top 20.
Overall, Rightmove found people in coastal and rural areas were happier with their surroundings - with lockdown seeing people value nature being on their doorstep more.
Residents of St Ives were fount to be happier than any other community with their local area’s nature and green spaces, as well rating their neighbours as the friendliest in Great Britain.
But it wasn't all south coast towns, with Skipton in North Yorkshire taking second place in the Rightmove list and Leamington Spa in Warwickshire coming third.
Tim Bannister, Rightmove director of property data, said: "This year’s study shows a greater appreciation for green spaces and nature, and a strong correlation between people living in coastal and rural areas and how happy people are where they live.
"Since lockdown we’ve since a trend towards more people looking to live in smaller communities, and so it’s very fitting to see that the picturesque town of St Ives has taken the top spot in 2020.”
However, demand for green space has driven prices up.
If you were going to buy in St Ives, you wouldn't be on your own.
Demand for property in the resort town has also more than doubled in the past year, rising 120% according to Rightmove.
That's pushed the average asking price of a home to £413,414 - up 5% on this time last year and 19% compared with five years ago.
But it wasn't the most expensive place on the happy towns list, with Richmond, Surrey, taking that honour.
Richmond - on the banks of the Thames on one side, a royal park on the other and with great connections to central London - was once again named the happiest place to live in Greater London and ranked 10th nationwide.
A home there will set you back £869,864 on average.
The happiest place in Wales - Llandrindod Wells - was also the cheapest place to buy with homes costing £150,963 on average.
The spa town also ranked fourth overall, and was found to be the place in Great Britain where residents feel able to be themselves most often.
Perth was found to be the happiest place in Scotland, fifth happiest overall and also the second cheapest place in the top 20 to buy a home at £163,303.
The Fair City also had one of the strongest community spirits of anywhere in Britain.
Overall, people spending more time at home and nearby it over lockdown has positively impacted how much people like where they live.
More than one person in three said they like their area more now.
Bannister said: “Despite all the challenges that this year has brought, many people have been able to reconnect with their local area and community which has had a positive effect on how they feel about where they live.
"Overall, I think lockdown has enabled people to rediscover what’s on their doorstep, and spending more time in their local areas has made people value their surroundings and communities so much more."
Of course, living by a beach in a town so picturesque they opened a branch of Tate Galleries there makes it easier.
Tony Harris, Mayor of St Ives, noted: “This news comes as no surprise to me, nor the local residents, as we all know St Ives is a great place to live.
"Our natural and built environments have always been held to be amongst the very best in the UK and it is of course a pleasure to live in such magnificent surroundings every day."
In Skipton, people felt much the same.
Jacob Taylor, from Dacre, Son & Hartley estate agents in Skipton, said: “This year has given people lots of time to reflect and sometimes it’s easy to forget why you first fell in love with an area, but I think residents in Skipton have started rediscovering the town and all the reasons why they chose to live here."
“It’s a fantastic place to live; you’ve got beautiful countryside on your doorstep and so many residents can look out of their window and just see fields for as far as the eye can see.
"We’re the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales and some of the most spectacular places in the country."
The 20 happiest places in Great Britain in 2020
- St Ives, Cornwall
- Skipton, Yorkshire & The Humber
- Leamington Spa, West Midlands
- Llandrindod Wells, Wales
- Perth, Scotland
- Kendal, North West
- Stratford-upon-Avon, West Midlands
- Dorchester, South West
- Harrogate, Yorkshire & The Humber
- Richmond upon Thames, London
- Falmouth, South West
- Hexham, North East
- Weymouth, South West
- Shrewsbury, West Midlands
- Tonbridge, South East
- Plymouth, South West
- Poole, South West
- Northwich, North West
- Barnstaple, South West
- Guildford, South East
The 10 factors Rightmove used to decide what makes a happy home town were: I feel a sense of community spirit; I feel a sense of belonging; I can be myself; The people are friendly and polite; Sports and recreational activities; Artistic and cultural activities; Opportunities to develop skills; Nature and green spaces; Essential local services (doctors, schools); Non-essential amenities (shops, restaurants)