Wales may have missed out on a place in Halifax's 'Top 50 best places to live in the UK', but the Vale of Glamorgan, which Penarth is part of, came out on top for the country.

Wales' highest-ranking local authority didn't even make it into the top 100 with the Vale of Glamorgan placing 126th.

The annual Quality of Life research looks at local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales, and takes into consideration 26 different factors that homebuyers may consider when choosing a place to live.

In addition, for the first time, the research also takes into account how important the survey factors are to people looking to find the perfect property, with affordability, safety, and access to parks and green spaces all proving most essential according to UK adults.

The South East of England is the highest-ranking region, with 18 local authorities securing spots in the top 50 best places to live.

The East of England comes second which, alongside the overall winner, boasts another nine entries in the top 50.

Yorkshire and Humberside are the only places in the North of England to make the top 50. The Scottish Orkney Islands are the only locality north of the border to feature and no London local authorities appear in the top 50.

Here are the top 50 places in the UK with the best quality of life, according to Halifax:

1. East Hertfordshire, East of England
2. Fareham, South East
3. Hart, South East
4. Horsham, South East
5. Maldon, East of England
6. Selby, Yorkshire and the Humber
7. Hambleton, Yorkshire and the Humber
8. Babergh, East of England
9. St Edmundsbury, East of England
10. Wokingham, South East
11. Ryedale, Yorkshire and the Humber
12. South Derbyshire, East Midlands
13. South Cambridgeshire, East of England
14. Tonbridge and Malling, South East
15. Rugby, West Midlands
16. Runnymede, South East
17. Wychavon, West Midlands
18. Orkney, Scotland
19. Woking, South East
20. Warwick, West Midlands
21. South Oxfordshire, South East
22. Rushcliffe, East Midlands
23. Huntingdonshire, East of England
24. Newark and Sherwood, East Midlands
25. Rushmoor, South East
26. Forest Heath, East of England
27. Elmbridge, South East
28. Wiltshire, South West
29. Gedling, East Midlands
30. North Dorset, South West
31. Rutland, East Midlands
32. Tewkesbury, South West
33. Rochford, East of England
34. Winchester, South East
35. Bracknell Forest, South East
36. Cherwell, South East
37. Central Bedfordshire, East of England
38. Charnwood, East Midlands
39. Forest of Dean, South West
40. Vale of White Horse, South East
41. West Berkshire, South East
42. New Forest, South East
43. North Warwickshire, West Midlands
44. Guildford, South East
45. Swindon, South West
46. Lichfield, West Midlands
47. Suffolk Coastal, East of England
48. York, Yorkshire and the Humber
49. Basingstoke and Deane, South East
50. Erewash, East Midlands

Local authorities which came out top for the quality of life in each nation or region, according to Halifax:

– South Derbyshire, East Midlands

– Rugby, West Midlands

– Wiltshire, South West

– Vale of Glamorgan, Wales

– Eden, North West

– Darlington, North East