MoneySuperMarket study names best place in Wales to raise a family

Nation Cymru staff

A new study from MoneySuperMarket has revealed the best place in Wales to raise a family.

The new study ranks every Welsh authority on family-raising factors such as housing, pay, healthcare, road safety, and community and reveals that Neath Port Talbot is the best place in Wales to raise a family, coming ahead of second and third place locations, Torfaen and Carmarthenshire.

The new research from life insurance expert MoneySuperMarket scored local authorities across the country on the factors that shape everyday family life – from housing and healthcare access to road safety and community.

The area tops the study as a well-rounded winner, scoring 65.98 out of 100, scoring strongly for housing affordability (28.57) and community (6.86), alongside solid healthcare access. It also boasted one of the strongest road safety records in the entire study, with road casualties falling by more than 20% between 2023 and 2024.

Torfaen follows closely in second place (64.62), with a higher average house price of £201,540 offset by a strong Pay Score, with an average annual salary of £39,170. Carmarthenshire takes third (61.38), scoring strongly on housing (30.33) and community (6.48), despite slightly lower access to healthcare, with just 7.9 dental practices per 100,000 people.

In contrast, Swansea ranks fourth (60.40), supported by some of the strongest healthcare provision in Wales, with 16 dental practices per 100,000 people. Caerphilly rounds out the top five, with the strongest overall Housing Score in the Welsh top 15, thanks to a lower average house price of £198,809 and healthy average salaries of £35,367.

The top 15 places to raise a family in Wales (/100)

Neath Port Talbot (65.98)
Torfaen (64.62)
Carmarthenshire (61.38)
Swansea (60.40)
Caerphilly (59.45)
Flintshire (58.57)
Merthyr Tydfil (57.14)
Blaenau Gwent (55.90)
Denbighshire (53.90)
Rhondda Cynon Taf (52.93)
Gwynedd (52.48)
Conwy (50.24)
Bridgend (47.67)
Pembrokeshire (45.95)
Isle of Anglesey (45.02)

Having good access to healthcare is an important factor for many families and is one which varies significantly across Wales. Gwynedd leads the way with a Healthcare Score of 15.4 out of a possible 17 thanks to its 15 dental practices and 19 GPs per 100,000 people, followed by Blaenau Gwent and Denbighshire (both scoring 14.6 for Healthcare). Merthyr Tydfil records the highest number of dental practices per capita in Wales, at 23.7 per 100,000 people, though having fewer GPs per head brought its overall score down to 12.1 out of 17.

Road safety also stood out as a strength for several areas. Flintshire posts one of the best Road Safety Scores on the list, with road casualties down 33.8%, while Neath Port Talbot and Torfaen also record healthy year-on-year drops.

Kara Gammell, life insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, comments: “Neath Port Talbot’s topping the list for Wales shows that families don’t need the most expensive postcode to get the best quality of life – affordable housing, safer roads and a strong sense of community can outweigh flashier factors when it comes to raising a family.

“Wherever families choose to settle, though, one thing stays constant: making sure they’re financially protected if the worst happens. Taking a few minutes to compare life insurance quotes can give parents real peace of mind that their family is looked after, whatever life throws their way.”

For more information on the best places to raise a family across England, Scotland and Wales visit: https://www.moneysupermarket.com/life-insurance/best-places-to-raise-a-family-2026/

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