Least Prosperous Places In Britain Revealed: Where Does Your Town Rank?

It may be home to Wolves football club, the first set of automatic traffic lights in England and a colourful accent, but Wolverhampton has been named the least prosperous area of Britain.

That’s the word from Legatum Institute’s think tank which made the first ever geography of prosperity index to find out where in the UK people are feeling satisfied with their lives.

Researchers used local GDP figures and Office for National Statistics well-being data to rank 170 areas across the UK. They basically looked at average incomes and how happy people feel - and Wolverhampton came out last.

The city, which was once the biggest town in the UK, suffered crippling unemployment throughout the recession and regeneration projects have fallen apart in the years since.

Unsurprisingly, west London boroughs were among the top contenders - the capital took four out of five top spots with Hammersmith and Fulham, and Kensington and Chelsea coming top.

Wolverhampton looking quite nice for a change

Wolverhampton’s neighbouring borough, Sandwell, took the second-to-last slot, while Blackpool, Liverpool and East Derbyshire hovered just slightly above it.

Sian Hansen, executive director at the institute, said: “The geography of prosperity index reveals that prosperity is about more than just wealth - it is about feeling that one’s life is worthwhile.

"The index shows that while robust economic success can make an area prosperous, this in itself is not enough.

“Some of the most prosperous areas of the country are those where, regardless of their income, people have the opportunity to lead healthy, fulfilling and prosperous lives.”

It’s not such a bad place, Wolverhampton. City highlights include the man on the horse statue, the place on the ring road where a tramp used to live, a brand new bus station and an adult superstore.

But perhaps the best thing about the city is its excellent transport links to the rest of the country.

Image credits: David Bagnall/REX Shutterstock