Norwich named Best Place to Live in the UK 2026
By: Communications
Norwich, the home of the University of East Anglia, has been crowned the Best Place to Live in the UK.
The city was praised for its thriving mix of history, culture and urban buzz as it was crowned the national winner in The Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.
It is the only location to have featured in all 14 editions of the guide and was described as “a creative, cosmopolitan city with a green conscience and a warm heart”.
The historic city tops a list of 72 locations with the winning citation saying Norwich was “a place of inspirational spires and cosy pub fires, where you can enjoy the best of both urban conveniences and rural living, eat like a king - and where homes are affordable”.
The University of East Anglia (UEA) and fellow higher education institution Norwich University of the Arts were celebrated for helping to keep this ancient place young at heart.
The median age is just 34 and many students stay on after graduation to take up creative jobs.
UEA’s Sainsbury Centre gallery was hailed as a cultural highlight “which encourages visitors to physically engage with its art - you can hug Henry Moore’s Mother and Child, as the sculptor originally intended, for example”.
Prof David Maguire, Vice-Chancellor of UEA, said: “This comes as no surprise to anyone at UEA.
“As one of the city’s anchor organisations, we have long known how wonderful Norwich is and for years it’s been the UK’s best‑kept city secret.
“Now the rest of the world is waking up to what an exceptional place this is to live, work and study.
“It’s remarkably easy to fall in love with Norwich. Students and staff initially are often unsure about whether the city and university are for them until they get here and see firsthand the remarkable juxtaposition of storied history and contemporary vibe.”
With a market at its heart, Norwich boasts an array of cultural riches including theatres, music venues, a castle, independent shops, cafes and bars.
When compiling the guide, the judges assessed factors from schools to transport, broadband speeds and mobile signal to amenities, as well as access to high-quality green spaces and the health of the high street.
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