Recent studies reveal the best cities in the UK for job opportunities and affordable cost of living

With an extremely inflated economic context, the overload of bills, rent and living costs have imploded and the balance between your monthly salary and all your mandatory costs can be fragile. A number of people living in the UK have moved towards smaller towns or places with higher perks and salaries.

The recent study led by HR software provider Ciphr examined employment data for 50 locations with city status, comparing multiple factors such as their average earnings, recent salary growth, employment rate changes, unemployment rate, number of job listings on Indeed, the number of businesses, housing affordability, and life satisfaction and happiness scores. All those factors listed help out job hunters and future employees looking for a stable, sustainable career path and lifestyle.

The following constructed list composes the best options with the 15 best cities to professionally blossom:

1. Milton Keynes (#1 for job opportunities)
2. Oxford (#1 for employment rate growth and happiness)
3. York
4. St Albans (#1 for highest average salary and lowest unemployment rate)
5. Norwich
6. Cambridge (#1 for job listings per person)
7. Colchester (#1 for salary growth)
8. Aberdeen
9. Bristol
10. Coventry
11. Leeds
12. Canterbury (#1 for life satisfaction)
13. Gloucester
14. Doncaster (#1 for housing affordability)
15. Wrexham

In case you are still doubting and unsure about where to go or apply the Ciphr study has targeted five key factors: top-paying cities, best cities for job hunters, cities with the most employers, most affordable cities to buy or rent and UK's happiest cities.

Top-paying cities

For those searching for the city with the highest possible earning in 2023, then look no further than St Albans. Currently, its average median full-time salary is 41% above the average UK salary set at £46,551. Next on our list would be London with an annual salary of £39,391, closely followed by Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Oxford.

However, the above mentioned cities have an extremely high cost of living and are strongly impacted by the current inflation. Thus, if you are looking for an inflation-beating growth city then the top five will involve the following cities: Colchester and Chichester come at the top with an individual growth rate of 12.9% and 12.1% since 2021. They are then followed by Wrexham with an 11.5% rate which is followed by Salford with 11.2%, and Portsmouth with 10.7%. Knowing the average salaries for these cities are all around the UK average of £33,000.

Best cities for job hunters and cities with the most employers

The most vacancies available listed on Indeed appear to be located in Cambridge, Exeter and Bristol. According to the Ciphr study, there are currently around 396 job postings in Cambridge per 10,000 working-age people, 373 in Exeter, and 326 in Bristol knowing the average in the UK is 183.

Finally, other UK cities that rank highest for job vacancies include Manchester (with 318 listings on Indeed per 10,000 working-age people), Oxford (289), Norwich (286), Nottingham (272), Gloucester (259), Preston (247) and York (229).

Another strong economic indicator is cities with the most employers and thus more employment opportunities. The top goes with Winchester first with the highest density of small, medium and large businesses at 168.1. After Winchester is Chichester, with the next highest number of businesses, having 10 employees or more at 93.9 per 10,000. Belfast comes next on the list at 83.7 per 10,000, followed by London (81.6) and St Albans (81.1). The UK average is 68 per 10,000.

Most affordable cities to buy or rent properties

Considering the current labour market opportunity is key if you are looking to relocate, switch or completely change your career path and start on a strong basis.

As a consequence of the previous health crisis, remote and hybrid working is enabling more people to live further away from their built-in office and engage in a more sustainable financial plan.

The most affordable housing is found in the midlands or north of England – in Doncaster, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland, Hull, and Bradford.

The least affordable ones with no surprises are in London, Oxford, Brighton and Hove, Cambridge, Bristol, and Winchester.

The best city for renters is Hull, as the average rent is around 20% of the average salary – leaving 80% for other expenses. The most expensive is Edinburgh, where the rent-to-income ratio is 46%.

The UK's happiest cities

With an average score of around 15.5 out of 20, Winchester, Lancaster, and Oxford residents score higher than any other city in the study on life satisfaction and happiness, according to the Office for National Statistics' latest annual survey of personal wellbeing.

Those living in Canterbury and Lancaster feel the most satisfied with their lives (7.91 out of 10 each), while those living in Oxford are the happiest (7.71 out of 10).