With its bustling high street, premium properties and top-notch schools, this Trafford hotspot has been recognised in The Sunday Times’ annual Best Places to Live guide
Altrincham has been named the best place to live in the north west in The Sunday Times 2026 guide(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
A popular market town in Greater Manchester has taken the top spot as the best place to live in the north west. ‘Classy’ Altrincham has been featured in The Sunday Times’ guide of the Best Places to Live across the UK in 2026.
The comprehensive annual list is put together by an expert panel, who visit a variety of cities, towns, suburbs and villages throughout the country; assessing factors from schools and transport to amenities, access to high-quality green spaces and the health of the high street.
After comparing each area, The Sunday Times’ judges picked the most desirable place to reside in each region. Taking the crown for the north west is Altrincham – the bustling and vibrant market town that sits to the south of Trafford.
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First established in 1290, it still has its market running today, as well as a growing number of independent businesses, restaurants, bars and cafés that draw people to the town centre.
The town has a bustling atmosphere(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
With the M56 and the M6 on its doorstep, Altrincham is perfect for commuters as it’s easily reached from Manchester and beyond. Piccadilly is just a 25 to 30 minute train ride away, whilst trams to Manchester city centre take just over half an hour.
For jet setters, Manchester Airport is conveniently less than a 15-minute drive away whilst for cyclists, there’s the Bridgewater Way canal towpath which runs to MediaCity andthe city centre.
Dubbed “classy, cool and effortlessly comfortable”, The Times’ expert panel said: “Alty is a top-notch town brimming with independent businesses and big brands (Marks & Spencer, Flannels, Waterstones, Everyman Cinema).
Altrincham has an array of independent businesses including shops, cafes and bars(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
“Now it’s flying even higher. Co-working has arrived on the high street, with three floors of space at Foundation, in the old Rackhams department store; it also houses a bowling alley and the Yum Cha dim sum restaurant.”
As well as noting Altrincham’s development, the judges praised the town’s ‘stand-out’ schools, Georgian and Victorian terraced gems and its resident’s love for fitness.
Why Altrincham is the north west’s best place to live
Altrincham Market is open Tuesday to Sunday(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
Altrincham Market and Market House
The popular Altrincham market is packed with traders from Tuesday through to Sunday. Set in a beautiful listed building, it’s a destination in its own right – not only offering the freshest local produce and cool gifts, but its adjoining Market House is full of unique eateries and is brimming with atmosphere.
The Times’ noted: “The Lake District-based bakery Lovingly Artisan won four awards at the Guild of Fine Food’s Great Taste Awards in 2025, for its dark chocolate and Mediterranean orange loaf, malted barley sourdough, Danish rugbrod and Northumberland rye.
“The Market House is packed with places to eat — including Tender Cow and Honest Crust — but be prepared to wait for a table. Bar Etna, owned by a young Sicilian couple, imports its pistachios from Mount Etna and makes fresh pasta every day.”
Blanchflower is a popular eatery(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
Places to visit
Altrincham has a range of eateries to suit every palate, with The Times highlighting Blanchflower and Wow Yau Chow as its ‘dine out’ options. The quirky Kickback Coffee, set at the Arches by the Bridgewater Canal, also got a mention which sees flocks of runners, cyclists and locals come together for a coffee.
“Kickback Coffee, at the Arches by the Bridgewater Canal where a cluster of funky businesses, such as Bee Strong women’s gym wear and EZ Hampers, have set up shop. Its nutty, creamy signature blend is called the Explorer, and it holds matey monthly community runs, cycle rides and rambles into the Peak District,” says The Times.
For anyone searching to visit somewhere a little different, Into the Wild is a tepee hideaway in the woods in the Bollin Valley with zip lines, tree nets, crazy golf, bushcraft and mindfulness workshops, live DJ sets, plus a year-round coffee shack and weekend sourdough pizzas.
Into the Wild at Bollin Wood(Image: MEN)
Health and fitness
“Fitness is flying in Altrincham,” says The Times. Move Altrincham leisure centre reopened in August 2025 after a £20 million revamp by Trafford Leisure with two pools, a spa, a four-court sports hall, a cycle studio, plus a café run by the local Most Bakery.
“Even the golf club is acing it: more than 1.76 million balls were hit at Altrincham Golf Course & Driving Range, where a quarter of the members are under 22, between April and November 2025, which is believed to be the highest number ever at the venue. Just one reason why this northwest winner is on the upswing,” the guide says.
Altrincham Grammar School for Boys(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Top-rated schools
Many of Altrincham’s top-notch schools are what pulls families to the area. Altrincham Grammar School for Girls won both the Sunday Times Parent Power’s State Secondary School of the Year in the Northwest 2026 and State Secondary School of the Year in the Northwest for Academic Excellence 2026.
Meanwhile, Altrincham Grammar School for Boys ranks no.33 in the national selective senior-school rankings, with the all-girls Loreto Grammar School at no.60. The all-boys Catholic St Ambrose College in Hale Barns, also selective, is rated good by Ofsted. The co-ed comprehensive Wellington School, which has a sixth form and was also rated good in 2022, was praised by inspectors for preparing pupils for the world of work.
Standout primaries also include Altrincham CofE Primary School (Parent Power’s no. 65 in the UK) and St Vincent’s RC Primary School (no. 166).
How much it costs to live there
Altrincham has an average house price of £593,100(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
With everything Altrincham has to offer, it’s properties don’t come cheap. The average house in the area will set you back £593,100, according to mortgage lender Lloyds Banking Group who has sponsored The Times’ guide.
Recent analysis by Clifton Private Finance of Land Registry data from 2015 to 2025 revealed that Altrincham is amongst the top 10 UK towns which have seen the highest rise in property values.
House prices have exploded over the last decade by a whopping 49.26 per cent, ranking it in 7th place.
According to Rightmove, the majority of properties sold in Altrincham during the last year were semi-detached properties, selling for an average price of £533,037. Terraced properties sold for an average of £451,161, whilst flats fetched £295,715.
What properties are on offer
The town is lined with Georgian and Victorian properties(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
Properties in Altrincham range from charming period houses, to spacious, modern architect-designed mansions. Most notably is The Downs, one of the area’s oldest roads, lined with Georgian and Victorian terraced gems that sell for around £700,000.
Larger period properties in leafier Bentinck Road sell for around £1.75 million, while the even grander houses around Wainwright Road, Gorsey Lane and Harrington Road, with security gates, high hedges and countryside views, fetch £3 million to £4 million.
Tracey Sloan, senior branch manager at Bridgfords estate agents in Altrincham, says that most of the demand in the town comes from families and professionals who choose Altrincham for its lifestyle.
“Demand in Altrincham has been consistently strong, and well-presented homes rarely stay on the market for long. We’re still seeing competitive interest, especially for family homes and it’s common for the best properties to reach or exceed their asking price,” says Tracey.
“Much of the market’s strength comes from the buyers themselves. Many are local families who want to stay in the area and need more space, with Grammar school catchments playing a major role. We also see professionals relocating from London to work in Manchester who choose Altrincham for its lifestyle.”
Local estate agents say a number of buyers are professionals who choose Altrincham for its lifestyle(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
Tracey added: “Period terraces and semis remain especially popular, while high‑quality modern and larger detached homes attract strong interest due to their limited supply.
“Buyers often tell us that Altrincham simply ‘feels right’. Its mix of outstanding schools, independent shops, green spaces, transport links, and a strong sense of community creates a lifestyle people genuinely value. It’s somewhere they want to put down roots, something clearly reflected in the area’s sustained price growth.”
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. Five other areas in the north west are featured in the comprehensive guide, including Didsbury.
The full list of north west locations is:
Altrincham, Greater ManchesterEden Valley, CumbriaLancaster, LancashireLiverpool: AigburthMacclesfield, CheshireManchester: Didsbury