News
Greater Manchester town named fifth best place for families to live in England
It might come as surprise…
The top 25 family-friendly places to live in the UK have been ranked, and a Greater Manchester town managed to bag the fifth spot.
Online retailer Play Like Mum ranked the entries using eight categories, including median full-time salary, things to do, quality of schools, crime per person, average house price, and monthly private childcare costs.
Other factors taken into account include the percentage of schools given an ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted report, the percentage of households with kids, and the number of child-friendly attractions and restaurants.
Liz Dawson / Geograph
And the winner in our region is Bolton, who secured a very respectable fifth place on the list, behind Bournemouth, Newcastle upon Tyne, and Plymouth.
Liverpool managed to take the top spot, both overall and for the percentage of schools with ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted reports – in Bolton, over a fifth of schools managed top Ofsted ratings, which is only 1.5% short of Liverpool’s score, the Bolton News reports.
When it comes to finances, in Bolton the average full time worker earns just under £25,000, while private childcare will only cost you £725 a month – the average house goes for around £160,000.
There are seven attractions and a whopping 79 child-friendly restaurants in the area, per 100,000 people.
Philip Platt / Geograph
On top of that, crime rates are apparently low in Bolton, with just 0.18 crimes recorded per person – nationally, London had the highest (0.54 per person) and Reading the lowest (0.07 per person).
Cllr David Greenhalgh, leader of Bolton Council, told Bolton News: “It is no surprise that Bolton has ranked so highly as a wonderful place for families. From outstanding schools and easy access to beautiful countryside to our friendly community and family events such the Food and Drink Festival, there is certainly plenty to be proud of.
“We are lucky to have so many voluntary sector groups within our communities that bring families together and create a real sense of pride in the borough. As we work to improve our town centre and continue to attract employers to the borough, I’m sure more people will realise that Bolton is an ideal place for all ages.”