Picturesque postcodes

Living in a picturesque area can bring benefits to our mental well-being, but where are the prettiest places to settle down?

To find out, we’ve analysed each local authority area in England and each US state on factors such as national parks and beauty spots.

If this has inspired you to make a move yourself, be sure to properly compare mortgages to secure the correct deal for your needs.

The most beautiful places to live in England

1. North Norfolk (East) - 9.21 out of 10

After analysing each local authority area, two were actually tied for first place. The first is North Norfolk, in East Anglia.

The area was amongst the top-ranking places for each of the factors analysed, particularly for its national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONB).

North Norfolk is renowned for its coastline, with miles of wonderful beaches and small seaside towns and villages. Further inland the area is also home to rolling countryside and pretty market towns.

1. Torridge (South West) - 9.21 out of 10

Tied with North Norfolk is Torridge, located in the north of Devon. Like North Norfolk, Torridge scored well across the board. It’s also in the bottom 10 nationally when it comes to fly-tipping incidents.

This is another part of the country known for its rugged coastline, particularly along the South West Coast Path.

The North Devon Coast AONB falls partially within the district, with a varied landscape of wild cliffs and waterfalls and calm sandy beaches. 

3. West Devon (South West) - 9.09 out of 10

Another Devon area comes in third place, meaning that each of the top three picturesque areas are located in the South.

West Devon is in the top five local authorities when it comes to national parks and AONBs, with 3.56 per 100,000 people.

This is because, despite being a small area, it contains most of Dartmoor and also the Tamar Valley.

Where is home to the most national parks & AONBs?

Eden, North West & Richmondshire, Yorkshire & the Humber - 5.58 per 100,000 people

Alongside the country’s national parks, there are 46 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which are some of the most picturesque places in the country.

There are just nine local areas that fall within three of these areas. When normalised against the population, two are tied with 5.58 per 100,000 people.

Eden, in Cumbria, falls within the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and the North Pennines. Richmondshire, North Yorkshire, also falls within the Yorkshire Dales and North Pennines, as well as Nidderdale.

Where are the most listed buildings?

City of London, London - 5,632 per 100,000 people

While it's about as far away from greenery as anywhere in the country, the City of London excels when it comes to beautiful historic buildings.

The Square Mile has 616 listed buildings in total, more per capita than anywhere else in the country.

Some of the most well-known listed buildings include St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Royal Exchange and Mansion House.

Where has the most parks?

Rutland, East Midlands - 4,813,794 square metres within 1,000m

Green space is vital when looking for somewhere to live, but in some of the more built-up areas, it can be hard to come by.

That’s not the case in Rutland though, where there are over 4.8 million square metres of parks within 1,000m.

Rutland is the smallest county in England with just two towns. It centres around Rutland Water, a large reservoir that is also an important nature reserve.

Where are the cleanest streets?

Oadby & Wigston, East Midlands - 0.2 fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 people

No matter an area’s green space and natural beauty, it can very quickly be let down by litter and waste in the streets.

The area with the fewest fly-tipping incidents is Oadby and Wigston in Leicestershire. The area has just 0.2 incidents per 1,000 people, which is far fewer than anywhere else in the country.

The top 50 most beautiful places to live in England 

The most beautiful places to live in the USA

1. Florida - 7.96 out of 10

In the USA, it’s Florida that ranks as the most picturesque of the 50 states. The Sunshine State is home to three national parks, placing it fourth nationally when land area is taken into account.

It’s also amongst the states with the most wildlife species, with 134 in total (78.68 per 100,000km2).

The tropical weather of Florida is one of its biggest assets, as are its gorgeous beaches. But it's also home to unique ecosystems like the tropical wilderness of the Everglades and has its own coral reef too.

2. California - 7.67 out of 10

In second place is the country’s most populated state, California. Cali came in third place for two factors, its number of national parks and number of forests per 100,000 km2.

It’s an incredibly diverse state, containing everything from beaches to mountains and forests to deserts.

Some of the natural highlights of the Golden State include the Sierra Nevada mountains, Mojave Desert, and Sequoia National Park.

3. Hawaii - 7.31 out of 10

Hawaii stands out amongst US states with its very distinct scenery, given that it’s located 2,000 miles from the mainland, in the Pacific Ocean.

Hawaii actually tops the rankings for three separate factors: its national parks, wildlife species and Instagram posts, although it lacks any national forests.

Made up completely of islands, you’re never far from a beach in Hawaii, which is also home to a number of volcanoes and other peaks.

Where has the most national parks?

Hawaii - 7.06 per 100,000 km2

The US is home to some beautiful and varied national parks, but the state that has the most per square kilometre is Hawaii.

While the state is actually only home to two such parks, it’s also amongst the smallest states in terms of landmass, which is why it ranks so highly.

The state’s two national parks are Haleakalā, on the island of Maui, and the Hawaii Volcanoes, on Hawai’i Island (Big Island).

Where has the most state parks?

Connecticut - 445.78 per 100,000 km2

As well as its national parks, the US is home to thousands of state parks. The state that proportionally has the most state parks is Connecticut, with 445.78 per 100,000 km2.

The Constitution State is amongst the country’s smallest, but packs a lot of state parks into its modest area. Some of the most well-known are Hammonasset Beach, Devil’s Hopyard and Rocky Neck.

Where has the most national forests?

Idaho - 5.54 per 100,000 km2

In terms of forests, Idaho is the place to be, with 5.54 national forests per 100,000 square kilometres. 

Idaho’s forests span the central part of the state and into the Idaho Panhandle, with the Forest Service holding about 38% of the state’s land.

The Salmon-Challis National Forest, which is one of the largest national forests outside of Alaska, and home to the state’s largest mountain, Borah Peak, can be found here.

Where has the most wildlife species?

Hawaii - 1,674.14 per 100,000 km2

When it comes to wildlife species to spot, Hawaii is the runaway winner, with 1,674.14 per 100,000 square kilometres.

Being situated so far from the mainland USA, Hawaii has a very different set of flora and fauna than the other states.

Notable examples include marine mammals such as whales, dolphins and the Hawaiian Monk Seal, as well as sea turtles and many types of seabird.

Where is the most popular on social media?

Hawaii - 27.5 million Instagram posts per million people

Hawaii is also seemingly the most photogenic state, as it’s by far the one that gets posted about the most on Instagram.

The state has been tagged in over 39 million posts in total, and around 27.5 million per million people.

The top 50 most beautiful states to live in the USA