Ready to retire but fancy a change of scenery – or even want to know if where you live is the perfect place to enjoy those later years? Life insurance expert Tom Vaughan from Confused.com is here to help, ranking major UK cities against 17 factors, including public transport, community wellbeing, access to age-friendly spaces and more. And considering the number of people aged 90 and above living in the UK has increased by 54% over a 20 year period, there’s never been a better time to find out where’s best to grow old and why.
1. Brighton & Hove
Brighton and Hove claims spot number one, ranking highest for the number of blue badge spaces, as well as strong health provision, dentists, and care homes per 100,000 people. It’s got good bus routes, train stations, and accessible toilets, plus there’s plenty of cafés, green spaces, and an age-friendly community infrastructure to support an independent lifestyle.
2. Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne ranks the highest for the number of GP surgeries per 100,000 people. But it also stands out for its excellent provision of dentists, hospitals, and care services, as well as a relatively low cost of living. The city also performs well on community indicators, with strong scores in both the happiness index and life satisfaction.
3. Bournemouth
This town ranks third, thanks to its strong access to care homes, a low starting weekly cost for care, and high life satisfaction among residents. The seaside location, combined with a high density of shops and green spaces, makes it an appealing option for later on in life.
4. Stoke-on-Trent
Why is Stoke-on-Trent number four on the list of top five cities to grow old in? It offers good affordability, low property prices, and solid scores across both health and community categories. Then there’s its strong life satisfaction score and a good spread of age-friendly facilities.
5. Glasgow
In fifth place is Glasgow, with a large number of shops, cafés, and accessible transport options. The city also scores highly for happiness and life satisfaction, although the slightly lower availability of healthcare services and age-friendly community infrastructure impact its overall position.
“As we plan for later in life retirement homes, life insurance, and pension planning often top the list,” explains Tom. “But it’s just as important to think about the community we’ll be part of. The UK’s ageing population means more of us need to consider how well our cities and neighbourhoods can support us. Factors like healthcare access, public transport, and community amenities make a huge difference to quality of life as we get older.”
