Four counties in South Wales have been named among the nation’s top 10 best places to live in 2025.
The best places to live in the UK (in 2025) have been revealed in a list by The Times, based on data this year rather than the usual panel of experts.
To create the list, the news outlet looked at data sets for every local authority in Britain covering a range of different categories including:
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Crime rates
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Education statistics
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NHS measures (satisfaction with GPs, waiting times, etc.)
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Listed buildings
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Parks with Green Flags
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Community-listed companies
Each area was ranked based on these measures along with the average house price.
Where are the UK’s best places to live – according to data?
We crunched the numbers to find out if facts and figures, rather than experts, can pinpoint the most liveable place in the country. Plus search your area ⬇️https://t.co/v9Akr4To4w
— The Times and The Sunday Times (@thetimes) December 31, 2024
An overall list of best places to live in the UK was not possible as each nation counts things in a different way.
So The Times has developed a list of the best places to live in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The best places to live in Wales (2025)
The best places to live in Wales in 2025, according to The Times, are:
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Ceredigion
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Powys
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Monmouthshire
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Carmarthenshire
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Pembrokeshire
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Swansea
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Gwynedd
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Neath Port Talbot
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Flintshire
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Caerphilly
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Conwy
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Wrexham
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The Vale of Glamorgan
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Torfaen
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Cardiff
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Bridgend
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Newport
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Denbighshire
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Merthyr Tydfil
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Blaenau Gwent
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Rhondda Cynon Taf
Top tips for first-time buyers
Monmouthshire among the top 3 best places to live in Wales
Monmouthshire was the highest ranking south Wales county on The Times’ list of the best places to live in 2025.
It was named the third best place to live in Wales behind only Ceredigion and Powys.
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The average house price in Monmouthshire was found to be £353,000 while the NHS waiting time was 22 weeks, according to the data accumulated by The Times.
The south Wales county also boasts 2,420 listed buildings, five Green Flag Awards.
Despite Monmouthshire ranking in the top 3, south Wales counties didn’t fare well in The Times list of best places to live this year.
Eight of the bottom nine counties on the list were from south Wales – including Blaenau Gwent, Newport and Cardiff.