50 best rural places to live
With last year’s winner Waverley - which is home to towns like Godalming, Haslemere and Farnham - dropping back to third in 2014, Uttlesford tops the annual survey this year.
The annual Halifax Rural Areas Quality of Life Survey takes a wide range of factors into account, including residents' health and life expectancy, crime rate, weather, employment, school results, broadband access, and personal wellbeing.
This is the first time Uttlesford has come top, although prior to this the Essex District had made the top five on three separate occasions, coming second in 2013, third in 2011, and fourth in 2010.
1.Uttlesford - East of England
2.South Northamptonshire - East Midlands
3.Waverley - South East
4.East Hertfordshire - East of England
5.Rushcliffe - East Midlands
6.South Cambridgeshire - East of England
7.Vale of White Horse - South East
8.Chiltern - South East
9.Mid Sussex - South East
10.South Kesteven - East Midlands
11.North Kesteven - East Midlands
12.Rutland - East Midlands
13.East Cambridgeshire - East of England
14.East Hampshire - South East
15.Maldon - East of England
16.South Norfolk - East of England
17.Melton - East Midlands
18.Mid Suffolk - East of England
19.St Edmundsbury - East of England
20.Malvern Hills - West Midlands
21.Aylesbury Vale - South East
22.Test Valley - South East
23.Ryedale - Yorkshire and the Humber
24.Orkney Islands - Scotland
25.New Forest - South East
26.West Dorset - South West
27.Tonbridge and Malling - South East
28.South Oxfordshire - South East
29.Hambleton - Yorkshire and The Humber
30.Broadland - East of England
31.North Dorset - South West
32.Harborough - East Midlands
33.Selby - Yorkshire and the Humber
34.Cotswold - South West
35.North West Leicestershire - East Midlands
36.West Berkshire - South East
37.Wychavon - West Midlands
38.Tewkesbury - South West
39.West Oxfordshire - South East
40.Suffolk Coastal - East of England
41.Babergh - East of England
42.Wiltshire - South West
43.Shetland Islands - Scotland
44.Huntingdonshire - East of England
45.East Dorset - South West
46.Cherwell - South East
47.Wealden - South East
48.Tandridge - South East
49.Newark and Sherwood - East Midlands
50.East Devon - South West
Three reasons to live in the south east of England:
Average earnings remain highest in the South East, with Chiltern (£926 per week) and Waverley (£902) taking the top two spots, ahead of East Hertfordshire (£825) in the East of England.
The proportion of adults (16 years and over) with the highest level of qualification gained (such as a degree, NVQ level 4 and above or professional qualification) is the highest in Chiltern (55.0%), followed by Waverley (54.0%).
The lowest average annual rainfall is in Maldon (552mm) in Essex. The top five sunniest districts in Great Britain are all in the South East.