The areas in Lancashire have the best rankings for loneliness, housing costs, healthcare and safety
14:30, 27 Sep 2026Updated 15:59, 27 Sep 2026
Views across Whalley, Clitheroe and the Ribble Valley
Five areas of Lancashire have been named in a top 10 list of the best places to grow old in the North West.
Conducted by care home operator Lovett Care, the study scored local authority districts across 37 separate measures that shape later life. They fall into six themes that form the final index ranking: health, care, getting around without a car, housing and living costs, the local environment, and community and safety.
Lancashire have landed five spots in the top 10, with the Ribble Valley in the highest position at number four, with a 70.3 score out of 100 and a national ranking of 39. The region outranks every other district in the North West on four of the measures – with the lowest crime rate, lowest loneliness rate, longest life expectancy and lowest share of over-60s living on a low income.
These measures are among the 25 best results anywhere in England and the Ribble Valley also boasts 88.3 per cent of GP appointments being available in the same or next day – the fastest in the region.
In fifth place is Chorley, which ranks in position 45 in England and 69.4 out of 100. It is fifth in the North West on housing and living costs and has the region’s second-highest amount of public greenspace for its population and its third-lowest rate of fuel poverty, at 8.54 per cent of households.
Sixth position is Fylde, with a score of 67.7 out of 100 and a national ranking of 57.
Next is Rossendale, with a score of 66.6 and a national ranking of 63. Rossendale has the best environment score in the region, fifth in England on that theme.
In ninth position is Lancaster, which makes up the five areas of Lancashire in the top 10. Lancaster has a score of 66 out of 100 and is in 68th place in England.
Missing out of the top 10, South Ribble has the best score on housing and living costs, third in England.
Commenting on the study, Cathryn Fairhurst, Managing Director Operations at Lovett Care said: “For so many of us, choosing where to live is impacted by factors such as work opportunities, or the quality of education. But as people get closer to retirement age, they can start to focus more on what they want from where they live, whether that is access to nature, a thriving social scene, or good community services.
“This study was designed to discover which areas offer the best combination of a wide variety of factors that are important to older generations, and it’s a reminder that there are plenty of places across England that are well placed for spending our later years.”
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