The Buckinghamshire towns of Chesham and Amersham have been ranked as the best places to retire by Legal & General’s retail business.
This is based on factors like health and access to GPs, where the area is the best out of 632 UK areas.
Other factors taken into account are financial security, nature, social and community, housing, and local amenities.
Buckinghamshire, Surrey, and West Sussex are the best wider areas for retiring, with Mid Dunbartonshire (East Dunbartonshire) and Monmouthshire (Gwent) being viewed the best places to retire in Scotland and Wales respectively.
Lorna Shah, managing director, retail retirement, L&G: “This research gives us a more complete picture of what shapes a happy later life. It’s not just about one factor – it’s the combination of health, social connections, environment, and financial security that all play a part in retirement wellbeing.
“Financial security in particular, is an enabler for many of the other measures, giving people the freedom to choose where and how they want to live in later life.
“Our research has shown that having enough set aside can greatly improve retirement wellbeing and a guaranteed income, through products such as an annuity, can lessen anxiety and create a greater sense of certainty. It’s the difference between simply getting by and really enjoying this next stage of life.”
While much of London performed poorly in terms of financial security in later life, the capital scored well for access to amenities. Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner in Outer London made the top 20 in terms of the best retirement spots.
A sense of community is particularly important for later life wellbeing, with isolated adults much more likely to be less happy in retirement.
Lancashire’s Fylde was the top performer in terms of social and community connection, followed by Lowestoft in Suffolk and Dorking and Horley in Surrey. This pillar considered the number of adults in the area aged 65 and over, life satisfaction levels, reported levels of happiness, and distance to the nearest station.