The survey, now in its 13th year, asked over 35,000 people across Britain about their satisfaction with where they live, and Croydon found itself near the top of the unhappy list.
The study looked at how residents feel about their community, including their sense of pride, belonging, public transport, green spaces, and access to cultural activities.
Croydon, known for its large shopping district and status as a major commercial hub in Greater London, struggled to win over its locals.
Croydon wasn’t alone in the unhappy rankings.
Slough took the top spot as the most miserable place, followed by Bradford, Barking & Dagenham, and Dudley.
Other London boroughs also fared poorly, with Brent and Newham landing in the top ten.
In contrast, the happiest place to live in Britain was Woodbridge in Suffolk, followed by Richmond upon Thames, which secured the second spot.
Residents expressed opinions on topics such as how proud they feeI about where they live, their sense of belonging, community spirit, whether they can be themselves, whether they can earn enough to live comfortably in their area, public transport, sports and recreation, green spaces and artistic and cultural activities.
The Gen-Z generation (18 to 24-year-olds) were the most likely to say that they thought they would be happier living in a different area, while those aged 55-plus were the least likely.
Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s property expert, said: “It’s the younger generation who are most likely to say they would be happier living somewhere else, many of whom have to travel to cities for education or to find their first jobs.”
The research also indicated that the type of environment that made residents most happy was a rural location by woodland or a forest, or being near a National Park or National Landscape.
Rightmove’s analysis found that feeling proud to live in an area was the biggest driver of overall satisfaction with a home and community out of the factors it looked at, while living near to family and friends was the smallest driver.
Here is the full list of the unhappiest places to live:
1. Slough
2. Bradford
3. Barking & Dagenham
4. Dudley
5. Croydon
6. Walsall
7. Brent
8. Newham
9. Bexley
10. Birmingham
