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.

• Aberystwyth, Ceredigion
• Anglesey, Gwynedd
• Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan
• Crickhowell, Powys
• Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire
• Pontcanna, Cardiff

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