Two parts of our region, along with four other north west areas, have been recognised in the newspaper’s annual guide
The affluent town of Altrincham has been recognised in The Times annual guide(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Two areas in Greater Manchester have been named in The Sunday Times Best Places to Live list for 2026. The comprehensive annual guide, which has been running for 14 years, features the best cities, towns and villages to live in across the UK.
After visiting each area, The Sunday Times’ expert panel chooses the most desirable places to reside in each region. There are 72 places in total that have been picked by the judges to showcase the best of Britain, with Norwich in Norfolk named the best place to live in the UK.
The Sunday Times’s expert judges visited all the locations and assessed factors from schools to transport, broadband speeds and amenities, as well as access to high-quality green spaces and the health of the high street.
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There are ‘more new entries than ever before’ in this year’s guide, as the judges looked for ‘thriving locations with a strong sense of community’ rather than well-known areas with high house prices.
This year, six parts of the north west have been named in the list with two of those areas in our region. The affluent market town of Altrincham has topped the list of the best places to live in the north west of England, whilst ‘smug’ south Manchester suburb, Didsbury, has also been recognised.
Here’s what The Times judges had to say about Altrincham and Didsbury:
Altrincham has been named as the north west’s best place to live(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Altrincham
Altrincham featured on The Times’ list in 2018, when it was named the best place to live in the north west, and again in 2019 and 2020, when it won the grand title of the best Place to live in the UK. The market town was then named the regional winner for the north west again in 2021, and was also named alongside Prestwich in 2022.
Noted as ‘classy, cool and effortlessly comfortable’, The Times judges said: “Altrincham is “a top-notch town brimming with independent businesses and big brands. 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.
“The leisure centre reopened in August 2025 after a £20 million revamp, the market food hall draws diners from all over the region, and the schools are among the most successful in the country.”
Didsbury has been recognised in The Times guide(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Didsbury
Didsbury was last recognised by The Times back in 2015, but has now made its way into the top six best places to live in the north west. Although branded ‘a little bit smug’, the judges recognised the leafy suburb’s charming properties and ‘real Manc heart and soul’.
“Didsbury is stylish, solid, safe and, yes, a little bit smug in parts – but that’s OK,” said The Times panel. “The self-confidence that comes with an M20 address is what keeps the aspirational folk of Manchester queuing up to pay seven-figure sums for something redbrick, pretty and Victorian with a bay window and a driveway off a tree-lined street.
“For all its aspirational reputation, there’s real Manc heart and soul here: chummy neighbours, summer festivals and a legendary kids’ football club, Fletcher Moss Rangers.”
Elsewhere in the north west, The Eden Valley in Cumbria, Lancaster in Lancashire, Aigburth in Liverpool and Macclesfield in Cheshire were also picked as the best areas in the region by the Sunday Times judges.
Here’s what they had to say:
The Eden Valley, Cumbria
“The Eden Valley’s undulating landscape soothes the soul. The hills and dales are dotted with busy little market towns and picturesque villages. There are shops, farmers’ markets, friendly pubs and good schools,” notes The Times judges.
“For all its peace and quiet, it’s not in the middle of nowhere. Penrith, a few miles west, is a thriving town with mainline train services to London and Glasgow.”
Aerial view of Lancaster in Lancashire.
Photo by James Maloney/LancsLive
Lancaster, Lancashire
“The unsung city has excellent schools and a leading university, along with forgiving house prices. The big attraction is a location that’s perfect for a quick escape to England’s greatest landscapes: the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and the Forest of Bowland,” says The Times.
“There’s a lively coffee and cultural scene, too. The Gregson, a community and arts centre, is at the heart of much of the good stuff here. It’s home to more than 70 groups, including the brilliantly named Breath of Fresh Air choir, for people with asthma and breathing conditions, and the LGBTQ+ arts collective Queer By Gum.”
Liverpool: Aigburth
“Aigburth is lively Liverpool’s most modern and rewarding suburb. Sefton Park is a great, green marvel, and the brightly coloured shops, cafés and restaurants of Lark Lane a star attraction. The redbrick terraces are affordable family homes, there are easy connections to the city centre and a choice of good schools,” The Times says.
Macclesfield, Cheshire
“With one muddy boot in the Peak District and one designer loafer in Cheshire’s golden triangle, Macclesfield is an unshowy place compared with neighbours such as Wilmslow and Alderley Edge, but it has what it takes to keep everyone happy: schools, trains to Manchester and London, an attractive, improving and accessible town centre and life’s big necessities – a hospital and supermarkets,” The Times says.
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.”