Where are the best places to retire in the UK in 2023?

Choosing where to live is an important factor for all adults, but when considering where to retire, needs and desires change.

Naturally, what worked for a full-time commuting worker, or family-centric young adult, is not the same as someone 65+ seeking different amenities or services. 

A recent survey of ours found that living independently in retirement was most important to young adults today, with 44% placing it as a key retirement factor. Our retirement communities are proving hugely popular for exactly that reason, and we will continue to develop more sites throughout UK locations in the coming years. Given this, we wanted to understand where currently offers the best quality of life to seniors, and have conducted a study to find out.

Lucy Black from Retirement Villages comments: “We purposefully chose to analyse data sets that are actually important to a retiree in 2023, rather than looking at stereotypical hospital scores and bingo halls! We are much more interested in factors that offer seniors a fulfilling, active and exciting life such as population figures of over 65s for social activities, and public transport connectivity so families can visit. We found - from the latest census data - that over 65s and retirees account for 18.4% of the population in England and 21.3% of the population in Wales, so it’s important that many more towns and cities adapt to needs and activities for all ages.

“Too often, people assume that retirees should be near their families for convenience of visits, but at the age of 65, someone needs as much independence, exploration opportunities and activities as their children and grandchildren. In modern Britain, most families are dispersed and we have amazing transport connections, so we encourage our prospective residents to choose locations and communities that fulfill their retirement expectations and encourage a social, and active lifestyle first, with geographical location as a secondary factor.”

About the top 3 places for retirees

Guildford

Our study has scored Guildford as the best place to retire in the UK, with it scoring most highly across the board. Located in West Surrey and just 27 miles from London, it is great for accessibility for visiting family and friends. Guildford scored highest in the National Trust category, with the most number of locations and National Trust activities on its doorstep to offer retirees here an abundance of outdoor walks, local history and activities. 

Guildford also has the third lowest crime rate score in the study - of 72.3 per 1000 people - making it a safe and community-driven location. 

Several of our community locations are based in towns across the Surrey countryside near Guildford, including our first - and the UK’s first-ever - community; Elmbridge Village, just down the road from Guildford in Cranleigh, which might explain the popularity of this location!

Swindon

This beautiful town in the southwest of England is rich with museums and art collections. Swindon is ranked third in Britain for retirees, and scored high in our study for lowest crime rate overall with 68.3 crimes per 1000 people. It also has great access to National Trust places, scoring 3rd place in that category. 

Most notably, Swindon was in the top three for its popularity with seniors, with a high percentage increase (28.6%) in over 65s moving to the area in the last decade. It was superseded in this category slightly by Telford and Milton Keynes; MK has a huge 43.6% increase in over 65s in the last decade, highlighting the town’s improvements and offerings to attract seniors. 

Warwick

This West Midlands town on the River Avon is most renowned for its medieval castle, but being steeped in history might just be what makes it an interesting location to retire. 

Warwick scored particularly well across the board, being particularly noted for its low crime rate, a high percentage of over 65s (accounting for 18.9% of the town’s population), and also its increase in retiree popularity. When comparing 2011 census data with 2021’s latest figures, Warwick was 7th across the country for its 21.5% increase in over 65s living here, making it a popular retirement spot.

One of our growing communities - Lime Tree Village -  in Warwickshire, has recently seen an extension with new cottages available for retirees and some more almost completed, so we already can see why it's a great location for retirees. More information on open days, discovering Lime Tree and the surrounding town and county can be found here.

Lucy Black, Marketing Director, comments,