Usk, Monmouthshire has been named the best place to live in Wales in the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.
The Sunday Times judges picked Usk because of its attractive setting, convenient location and, above all, an impressive sense of community. Volunteers are involved in everything in the “Town of Flowers” from planting the 2,500 plants to secure its latest Britain in Bloom gold award to running the annual Usk Show. It’s a place where 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.
Six other locations in Wales are included in the comprehensive guide. In total, 72 places across the UK were selected by The Sunday Times to showcase the best of Britain, with Norwich, Norfolk named the overall national winner. The guide is published online on Friday 20 March, with an abridged version appearing as a magazine supplement on Sunday 22nd.
The full list of locations in Wales is:
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Usk, Monmouthshire
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Aberystwyth, Ceredigion
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Anglesey
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Cardiff: Pontcanna
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Cowbridge, Glamorgan
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Crickhowell, Powys
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Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire
Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, says: “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 visit every location on the list and talk to the locals to find out what they love about the place they live. These judges have traveled 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.”
The Sunday Times’s expert judges have visited all the locations and 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.
The chosen locations come in all shapes and sizes, from the best bits of big lively cities such as Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow, Cardiff and London to the tiny, rural villages of the Vale of Eden in Cumbria and the Vale of Belvoir in the Midlands. The whole country is covered, from Falmouth and Penryn in west Cornwall to Braemar in the Scottish Highlands and Ballycastle in Northern Ireland.
There are more new entries than ever before in this year’s guide. As always, the judges looked for thriving locations with a strong sense of community rather than famous names with high house prices.
The guide has been sponsored by the mortgage lender Lloyds Banking Group for the first time this year, which has provided an average house price for each location.
“For many, navigating the housing market can feel overwhelming,” says Kate Townson, Lloyds relationship and customer development director. “At Lloyds, our aim is to support all home buyers, including those taking their very first step onto the property ladder, with clear guidance, practical tools and tailored products that help them move forward with confidence and clarity.
“Our partnership with The Sunday Times Best Places to Live aims to give trusted insight into communities across the UK, helping homebuyers to make confident, informed decisions about their future home, ” Townson added.
Broadband speeds were provided by Thinkbroadband.com, the UK’s leading independent guide to broadband. We’ve also included mobile signal coverage, using network data from signalchecker.co.uk.
Pen portraits from the judges of the Wales locations
Aberystwyth, Ceredigion
Aber is a student-friendly, forward-looking resort town of many faces – all of them welcoming. It’s a town that manages to be a surf-sprayed seaside resort, a prestigious university hub and an intellectual powerhouse all at once. On top of that, it has enough good shops, facilities and culture to ensure that life in deepest west Wales doesn’t feel cut off.
Anglesey
This lively Welsh island has its own pace of life, affordable homes and a strong sense of identity. Best of all, it’s breathtakingly beautiful, with seaside scenery that’s a match for anything in the UK. It has interesting shops, pubs and restaurants and it’s a place where everyone has their favourite secret spots to swim or watch the porpoises, seabirds and red squirrels while avoiding the holiday crowds.
Cardiff: Pontcanna
Cardiff’s most sought-after suburb is a city-dweller’s dream that feels like a village. Pontcanna’s pretty streets are dotted with cute shops and cafés – and some of the capital’s best restaurants – and the whole place is surrounded by green space. Chapter, an arts and cinema hub, is one of the country’s most likeable venues and it’s only a short walk to the city centre.
Cowbridge, Glamorgan
Cowbridge is the jewel of the Vale of Glamorgan, a market town where medieval bones meet Georgian elegance, with a high street, alleyways and arcades that refuse to bow to the pressures of the 21st century and the best secondary school in Wales. Sandwiched between the city and the sea, it offers a lifestyle where you can spend your morning in a Cardiff boardroom and your afternoon exploring the rockpools of Ogmore or the cliffs of Southerndown.
Crickhowell, Powys
This is a market town where the rugged scenery on the doorstep makes it great outdoors – and the community makes it just as good indoors. 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, proudly independent high street. 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.
Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire
Behind its aspirational surface – discount designer fashion, posh chocs, smart delis, and art and craft shops – Llandeilo is a down-to-earth market town where people from all walks of life come together to make things happen. The conversion of the town’s long-neglected market hall into offices, a café and community space has boosted Llandeilo’s business credentials. The Mix, a social group for adults with learning difficulties, meets every week at the White Hart pub; the civic hall hosts quizzes, festivals, karate and yoga, while the Dinefwr Orchardeers look after the Towy Valley’s plentiful fruit trees.
