Thankfully, house hunters in the North East are spoilt for choice when it comes to great places for families to live, based on those factors.
That’s according to a new list of the best places to live across England and Wales, which ranks more than 1,400 cities, towns and villages using a variety of criteria.
Three of the top five and seven of the top 10 locations nationally for schools, employment and connectivity are found in the north east of England, the Best Places to Live 2025 guide produced by Garrington Property Finders has revealed.
Many of those places also score highly for other criteria, including heritage and culture, the natural environment and wellbeing.
It is perhaps unsurprising then that the price of a family home in those areas has been rising rapidly, according to Garrington’s study.
In three of the top 13 places to live across the North East, the average value of a 1,500 sqft family home, based on sold prices, has soared by more than 10 per cent over the last year.
Below are the 13 best places to live across the North East for schools, employment and connectivity, according to Garrington, in ascending order.
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1. Sunderland - 13th
Sunderland is the 13th best place in the North East and the 30th best place in England and Wales as a whole for schools, employment and connectivity, according to Garrington. It ranks 247th overall out of the 1,447 best places to live nationally and is 110th for heritage and culture, 450th for natural environment, 721st for house price, quality and value, and 1,419th for wellbeing. The average price of a family home there has risen by 0.41 per cent over the last year to £219,082. | National World Photo: Stu Norton
2. Crawcrook and Greenside - 12th
Crawcrook and Greenside, in Gateshead, is the 12th best place in the North East and the 24th best place in England and Wales as a whole for schools, employment and connectivity, according to Garrington. It ranks 85th overall out of the 1,447 best places to live nationally and is 887th for heritage and culture, 173rd for natural environment, 631st for house price, quality and value, and 472nd for wellbeing. The average price of a family home there has risen by 3.08 per cent over the last year to £285,201. | Google Photo: Google
3. Jarrow - 11th
Jarrow is the 11th best place in the North East and the 22nd best place in England and Wales as a whole for schools, employment and connectivity, according to Garrington. It ranks 788th overall out of the 1,447 best places to live nationally and is 484th for heritage and culture, 1,050th for natural environment, 696th for house price, quality and value, and 1,428th for wellbeing. The average price of a family home there has risen by 3.33 per cent over the last year to £227,004. | Google Photo: Google
4. South Shields - 10th
South Shields is the 10th best place in the North East and the 21st best place in England and Wales as a whole for schools, employment and connectivity, according to Garrington. It ranks 252nd overall out of the 1,447 best places to live nationally and is 172nd for heritage and culture, 304th for natural environment, 829th for house price, quality and value, and 1,420th for wellbeing. The average price of a family home there has risen by 3.32 per cent over the last year to £245,013. | National World Photo: Stu Norton