Insight – where are the best areas in the UK to invest in property in 2022?

New research from Currys and Swann has revealed the best UK areas to invest in a property in 2022, highlighting the price of properties, community spirit and crime rate.

With the safety and community aspect of a neighbourhood often being a significant deciding factor when moving home, alongside other major considerations like location, cost of property and local amenities, the research aims to highlight some of the most desirable places to live in the UK.

Along with tech giant Currys, Swann Security investigated crime rates and property prices, as well as nationwide survey data about people’s relationships with their neighbours.

It found that the historic city of York, famous for its Roman walls, the Shambles and York Minster, is the safest city in the UK, with the lowest crime rate.

Middlesbrough, meanwhile, is the cheapest place in which to purchase a property – however, because of years of neglect and deprivation following a post-industrial decline, it also has the highest crime rate.

Plymouth, the research found, is the best city to move to for friendly neighbours, with nearly 70% saying they get on with those living next door. Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Liverpool made up the top five, while Norwich, Bristol, Glasgow and Leeds made up the top 10.

As well as the residents of Plymouth being the most likely to say they get along well with their neighbours, the city also has the most community events of all UK cities. 

Belfast, narrowly in second place, was also one of the top two cities that say everyone in the local area knows each other, alongside Plymouth. 

Of all UK cities, inhabitants of Cardiff are the most likely to socialise with their neighbours, while half of those residing in Edinburgh say that people look out for each other in the local community. 

Liverpool, a famously friendly and welcoming city, ranked fifth for friendly neighbours with three in five (55.8%) using social media to connect with their community. 

Aside from being the UK’s safest city, with only 60.6 crimes per 1,000 people, the research said York also make a great choice for those looking for fresh air, thanks to its abundance of green spaces and low pollution levels.  

The second safest place in the UK can be found on the South Coast, with Poole having 70.69 crimes per 1,000 people is Poole. It’s also home to the largest natural harbour in the whole of Europe.  

The town of Swindon was in third, with 73.04 crimes per 1,000 people. For art fans, the Swindon Museum & Art Gallery is home to one of the best collections of 20th century British art outside of London.  

The current City of Culture, meanwhile, came in as the fourth safest place in the UK. Coventry, famous for football, The Specials and car manufacturing, has 74.04 crimes per 1,000 people. It also has one of the shortest average commute times in the UK, at 44 minutes daily. 

The Welsh city of Swansea, known for being lively and fun, with plenty to do in and around the city, was in fifth place with a crime rate of only 77.75 per 1,000 people. 

On the other hand, Middlesbrough – a former industrial hotbed that is now very much a town based around its Championship football club - has the highest crime rate in the UK, at 160.92 per 1,000 people. 

That said, it is on the small side, with a population of only 177,500, bringing down total crime figures in comparison to larger cities. 

Manchester, famed the world over for football, music and culture, has the second highest crime rate with 159.38 crimes per 1,000 people. But it’s one of the best places for foodies, with more restaurants than any other city after London. 

The place with the third highest crime rate was Kingston Upon Hull, with 149.08 crimes per 1,000 people. From an investment point of view, Hull also has the second lowest average rent price of all UK cities, which could make good yields harder to achieve.   

Bradford, meanwhile, sits in fourth place with 130.87 crimes per 1,000 people, but the Yorkshire city is much better from a commute perspective. For those looking for a quick and easy trip to work, Bradford offers the shortest average commute time at 39 minutes a day. 

Perhaps surprisingly, Norwich has the fifth highest crime rate of 128.98 per 1,000 people. However, as the most complete medieval city in the UK, it’s also steeped in exciting history.  

While property price and local attractions can make certain parts of the UK desirable places to live, if feeling safe and welcome in your local area is a deciding factor for your investment, some of the low-crime cities listed above may be the best move. 

You can find the full research, which asks whether community spirit is still alive in Britain, by clicking here.

You can also see the tables on relationships and crime rates in full below.