Working from home isn't just "the new normal" – it's almost certainly the way forward, too. It's highly likely that COVID-19 will have changed working life irrevocably, making daily commutes to the office less commonplace and allowing many of us to relocate to somewhere less hectic.
Whether you're considering a big move or not, it's definitely interesting to check out a new list of the best places to work from home. Compiled by Uswitch, the Remote Working Index 2020 aims to reveal the top 100 towns and cities in the UK where setting up a home office makes the most sense.
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It does so by taking into account seven factors that prospective movers have said they consider important: house prices, the prevalence of green spaces, crime rates, broadband speeds, air quality, number of GPs locally and quality of local schools.
Harrogate in Yorkshire places top thanks to its amazing green spaces, low crime rates and high number of GPs. Two picturesque places in Somerset – Bath and Mendip – are right behind, followed by Derry and Strabane in Northern Ireland.
The popular Hertfordshire commuter town of St Albans – just 20-25 minutes by train into London St Pancras – also makes the top ten. The historic walled city of Chester, which is close to both Liverpool and Manchester, places very highly too.
The UK's biggest cities rank a lot lower: Birmingham is 82nd, followed by London in 88th and Manchester in 100th. Check out the top 13 below with their rankings out of 100 in six categories.
"Our Remote Working Index reveals some of the country’s best places to work remotely and Harrogate comes top thanks to its superfast broadband, huge amount of green spaces, good schools and great doctor numbers," said uswitch.com's Adelana Carty.
“With the likes of Derry and Wigan so high up the list, it shows how different our priorities are once we are liberated from having to worry about the length of our commute," she added.
“After house prices, the amount of green space in the area is the biggest priority for people hoping to work from home, and places like Swansea look hugely appealing when you think of the gorgeous Gower peninsula on its doorstep."