The Sunday Times names Welsh location ‘Best Place to Live’ in 2026
A ‘blooming borders market town’ has been named the Best Place to Live in Wales in 2026 according to The Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.
This year, a total of seven Welsh locations feature in the highly respected Sunday Times Best Places to Live 2026 annual guide
Tim Palmer writes: “Usk doesn’t just wear its “Town of Flowers” title for show; it’s a rallying cry for the community in this ancient market town. It took 2,500 plants and a small army of volunteers to secure its latest Britain in Bloom gold award: best-kept large village in Wales 2025.
“It’s a place where the local rugby team lends its muscle to community planting, nesting boxes are provided for swifts, where wild swimmers campaigned for a £10 million wastewater upgrade to combat river pollution and where more than 60 community groups — covering subjects such as astronomy and philosophy — keep the calendar full to bursting.
“Facilities for tennis, football, rugby and cricket are excellent — the 150-year-old cricket club’s beautiful ground is the perfect place to while away a dreamy summer afternoon.”
He focuses on Laura Humphreys, a vet who moved here from west London 12 years ago and lives on her husband’s family farm.
She told the publication: “I was a bit concerned that there wouldn’t be enough to do, but if anything there’s too much,” she says. Entertainment ranges from open-mic nights in some of the dozen pubs to big events such as the annual Usk agricultural show, where volunteers turn out en masse to welcome thousands of visitors, Usktoberfest in the memorial hall and the Big Love music festival.
“The most important thing here is the community,” Humphreys adds. “There are a lot of people who care a lot and do a lot. It’s also a great place to bring up children. There’s a good selection of nurseries and a nice community of parents. In summer the river becomes a playground — and the actual playground is about to get an upgrade.”
Welsh winners
While Usk has been named the overall regional winner for Wales, six other locations made the long-list from Wales.
Time Palmer writes: “Aberystwyth has been called the Brighton or Biarritz of Wales in its time — but in truth “Aber” is its own creature. It’s a town that manages to be a surf-sprayed seaside resort, a prestigious university hub and an intellectual powerhouse all at once.”
“Life here plays out on the edge of the Irish Sea, and it’s always an experience. This is a town where you must kick the bar at the end of the promenade for good luck (part of an unexplained, century-old tradition) or find your car has been pebbledashed by a passing storm.”
Tim Palmer writes: “Anglesey isn’t a place you simply move to — it’s a place you surrender to. If you can’t handle the horizontal rain or the bracing Irish Sea winds, stay on the mainland. Otherwise, join its 70,000 residents across Thomas Telford’s elegant Menai Bridge, built in 1826, and become part of a community where everyone has their favourite secret spots to swim or watch the porpoises, seabirds and red squirrels while avoiding the holiday crowds.”
“You are never cut off, but life here feels distinct. It’s a landscape of rolling greenery set against the cinematic, jagged backdrop of Snowdonia[sic.] and the Llyn Peninsula. With the UK’s first small modular nuclear reactors now confirmed for Wylfa, bringing a massive wave of jobs and investment, the island’s future is looking as bright as its coastal light.”
Alexandra Goss shares: “Projecting into the Bristol Channel, just west of Cardiff and south of the M4, the Vale of Glamorgan is the “double chin of Wales’, yet this spot can take that less-than-attractive description on its, er, chiselled chin. For Cowbridge is the Vale’s culinary and academic heavyweight — a market town where medieval bones meet Georgian elegance, with a high street, alleyways and arcades that refuses to bow to the pressures of the 21st century.
“Sandwiched between the city and the sea, Cowbridge offers a lifestyle where you can spend your morning in a Cardiff boardroom and your afternoon exploring the rock pools of Ogmore or the cliffs of Southerndown.”
“The French-British chef Claudine Boulstridge, a recipe tester for Yotam Ottolenghi, often takes her three children to Llantwit Major beach after school to enjoy the sunset. “Cowbridge feels like the middle of nowhere — looking out of my window there are rolling fields in every direction yet the town is so-well-connected, close to the M4 and Cardiff and there is so much going on,” says Boulstridge, who runs the Instagram account @healthyfamilyfoodideas and has a recipe book, Family, out this summer.”
Tim Palmer writes: “Crickhowell is a picture-perfect, pitch-perfect market town. It’s ideally positioned on the edge of the Brecon Beacons and residents not only have access to rugged terrain, rushing rivers and lush green hills, but also a thriving independent high street.
“What makes it really stand out is its busy indoor social calendar. This is a place where community isn’t just a word — it’s a volunteer-run machine. Clarence Hall is a key hub. It hosts professional wrestling, line dancing, tribute bands, the annual panto, choirs and conservation groups, and is the place where Crickhowell’s heart beats with collective pride. The locals maintain an impressive collection of sports clubs, choirs and allotments and take part in good causes, such as sending recycled tools to Africa.”
“The landscape is the ultimate perk, though. You can conquer Crug Hywel (Table Mountain) within an hour of leaving your front door, yet be in Bristol or Cardiff in roughly the same time. It’s the perfect sanctuary for those who want to immerse themselves in the wild without severing ties to city life. With its immaculately kept streets (especially under the magic of Christmas lights) and a fierce loyalty to independent business, Crickhowell offers a quality of life that is as rare as it is rewarding.”
Palmer shares: “Scratch its aspirational surface — discount designer fashion, posh chocs, smart delis, and arts and crafts shops that feel more Chelsea than Carmarthenshire — and you’ll discover that Llandeilo is a down-to-earth market town where people from all walks of life come together to make things happen.
“It sounds cheesy but I moved here because of the community — where I lived before everyone lived in beautiful shiny houses but there was no community at all,” says Charlotte Walker, a former soldier who now works for the Welsh ambulance service and is mayor of this “special” town.”
Palmer adds: “The conversion of the town’s long-neglected market hall into offices, a café and community space in 2023 boosted the town’s business credentials.
“The sense of community here is more than enough to make up for the narrow pavements and lorry traffic in the town centre. There are rugby, cricket and football clubs, plus facilities for boxing, pickleball and roller hockey, as well as a new BMX pump track.”
Tim Palmer, again, writes: “Whoever plucked Pontcanna — the name of a long-forgotten farm — to rebrand the leafiest corners of Cardiff suburb Canton deserves a seat on the (estate agents’) board. Pontcanna’s well-kept Victorian terraces now fetch more per square foot than any other properties in Welsh towns and cities.
“The allure is simple: it’s a city-dweller’s dream that feels like a village. Pontcanna’s pretty streets are dotted with cute shops and cafés — and some of Cardiff’s best restaurants. And the whole place is surrounded by green space: Pontcanna Fields, Thompson’s Park and Bute Park. The latter is home to the city’s Parkrun.”
“Chapter, an arts and cinema hub, is one of the country’s most likeable venues and its friendly café a meeting place for the city’s literati. It also hosts the Held Fast running club, whose 5km runs combine exercise with a more artistic appreciation of the city.
“If that’s not enough, it’s a short walk or bike ride to the city centre, where you can take advantage of Cardiff’s position as a sports and entertainment powerhouse to watch international rugby or gigs by Taylor Swift, Oasis and the like. The journey home is a relaxing stroll through the sprawling green lungs of Bute Park. If you need to wind down a bit more, check out the Love Live Light Healing Hub, billed as Wales’s first social wellness space.”
Pride
Overall, Norwich has been named the UK’s best place to live in an annual Sunday Times guide.
The historic city tops a list of 72 locations in the Best Places To Live guide, which is released online on Friday.
An abridged version will be published as a magazine supplement on Sunday March 22.
The Norfolk city of Norwich was chosen for its blend of historic character, urban buzz and “liveability”.
It is the only location to have featured in all 14 editions of the guide.
When compiling the guide, the judges assessed factors from schools to transport, broadband speeds and mobile signal to amenities, as well as access to high-quality green spaces and the health of the high street.
Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places To Live editor, said: “This guide is a great opportunity to highlight the best places in Britain.
“It is full of places that show that our village, town and city centres can still be full of life, as well as places bursting with natural beauty, culture, connectivity and most importantly a sense of community.
“Our expert team of judges have travelled the length and breadth of the UK, from the Scottish Highlands to the Cornish coast, selecting the top towns and villages, suburbs and cities for the 2026 guide.
“One thing all our chosen locations have in common is that the people who live in them are proud to call them home.”
Read The Sunday Times Best Places to Live 2026 here
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