THE district of Wychavon has been named as one of the best rural areas in the country to live in, according to newly released figures.

Wychavon was ranked 29th nationally and second in the West Midlands region in the Halifax Rural Quality of Life Survey coming second to the Malvern Hills.

The area scored highly for employment with 74.9 per cent of residents in work while the district also benefits from low population density with 179 people for every square kilometre, compared to the Great Britain average of 264 per sq/km.

Men and women living in the district can also expect to live well into their eighties while more than 95 per cent of residents are reported to be in good health.

And overall Wychavon residents are happy with their lives with an average happiness score of 7.39 out of 10.

Jack Hegarty, managing director at Wychavon District Council, said: “We’re not surprised with the results of the survey. We already knew the district was a wonderful place to live and we’re delighted the Halifax Rural Quality of Life Survey has supported that view.

“As with all things in life there’s always room for improvement and we’re committed to working with our partners to do all we can to make this an even better place to live, work and visit.”