Best places to live in the UK: Hart in Hampshire tops list for the fifth year in a row

The picturesque district topped the poll with high scores in terms of health and life expectancy, personal wellbeing, crime rates and weather

Hart in Hampshire has been voted the best place to live in the UK for the fifth year running (PA)

The Hampshire district of Hart has been crowned the most desirable place to live in the UK - for the fifth year in a row.

The area scored highly in terms of health and life expectancy, personal wellbeing, crime rates and weather.

The list, compiled by Halifax bank, was dominated by southern England with South Oxfordshire climbing 19 places to 2nd and Mole Valley in Surrey jumping up to seventh from 19th in 2014.

97 per cent of Hart residents report being in good health - higher than anywhere else in the country - and life expectancy for women is 86.6 years and 82.4 years for men.

They are also wealthy with their average full-time weekly earnings being £865 - 37 per cent higher than the national average of £630.

But if you are planning to upsticks and move all this prosperity comes with a catch - house prices in Hart are eight times the average annual pre-tax local income.

This is compared with the national average of 6.8 times the local income.

Martin Ellis, a housing economist at Halifax said: "A mixture of good health, high wealth and a generally happy life continues to cement Hart's place as the best place to live in the UK.

"Low crime rates, good weather, and a long life expectancy all play an important part in keeping this Hampshire district at the top of the pile."