The happiest and unhappiest places to live in Norfolk and Waveney
Cromer viewed from its famous pier. People in North Norfolk say they are the happiest in the county according to an ONS survey. - Credit: NNDC
Norfolk's happiest and unhappiest places to live have been revealed using wellbeing data analysed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The ONS has used the results of a national survey which asked people to rate their level of happiness during the 12 months up to March 2020 to give district council areas an average figure.
The results show that North Norfolk and King's Lynn and West Norfolk are the happiest in the county, both scoring a cheery 7.6 out of 10.
Unsurprisingly, they also had the lowest levels of anxiety with 2.9 each.
At the other end of the scale the least happy places were Great Yarmouth and Broadland which both scored 7.3.
In general people reported being a bit less happy year-on-year, apart from Norwich which was a bit happier (but the most anxious) and South Norfolk which said it was the same.
Since 2011 the ONS has asked a series of questions about people's levels of life satisfaction, whether they feel worthwhile and how anxious or happy they were feeling the day before.
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All areas in Norfolk reported feeling more anxious, some significantly so, in line with a national increase of 6.3pc - the largest since measuring began.
The least anxious area was North Norfolk with 2.9 out of ten, and the most anxious was Norwich with 3.8.
City folk also felt the least valued chalking up the lowest "worthwhile" rating of 7.6.
In Great Yarmouth the anxiety figure had shot up from the lowest (2.2) the year before, to the second highest (3.6) in 2019/2020.
Here we have listed every local authority area in Norfolk and Waveney from the most to the least happy including the scores for the other three factors of life satisfaction, feeling that things done in life were worthwhile, and anxiety.
North Norfolk
Cromer viewed from its famous pier. People in North Norfolk say they are the happiest in the county according to an ONS survey. - Credit: NNDC
Happiness: 7.6
Life satisfaction: 8
Worthwhile: 8.3
Anxiety: 2.9
Kings Lynn and West Norfolk
Kings Lynn and West Norfolk has the joint highest happiness rating along with North Norfolk according to an annual ONS questionnaire. - Credit: Archant
Happiness: 7.6
Life satisfaction: 7.8
Worthwhile: 8
Anxiety: 2.9
South Norfolk
Wymondham Abbey and town . Steve Adams - Credit: Archant
Happiness: 7.5
Life satisfaction: 7.9
Worthwhile: 8
Anxiety: 3.3
Waveney
Blyburgate, Beccles.Picture: Nick Butcher - Credit: Nick Butcher
Happiness: 7.5
Life satisfaction: 7.7
Worthwhile: 7.7
Anxiety: 3.5
Breckland
Thetford Forest, one of the main attractions of the Breckland area. - Credit: Eastern Daily Press © 2015
Happiness: 7.4
Life Satisfaction: 7.7
Worthwhile: 7.8
Anxiety: 3.2
Norwich
Norwich market in the spring sunshine. Picture: ANTONY KELLY - Credit: Archant
Happiness: 7.4
Life satisfaction: 7.4
Worthwhile: 7.6
Anxiety: 3.8
Great Yarmouth
The Venetian Waterways and Boating Lake in Great Yarmouth recently reopened. Picture: Archant - Credit: Archant
Happiness: 7.3
Life satisfaction: 7.9
Worthwhile: 8
Anxiety: 3.6
Broadland
Blickling Hall Picture: Mark Bullimore - Credit: Archant
Happiness: 7.3
Life satisfaction: 7.6
Worthwhile: 7.8
Anxiety: 3.3
Overall the data presents a baseline picture of wellbeing in local authorities prior to the national lockdown, the data just skirting the start of the pandemic.
It shows average ratings of life satisfaction, happiness and anxiety in the UK all deteriorated for the first time since measuring began, levels of anxiety jumping to their highest ever rates, even before the full force of the pandemic had been felt.
