The Welsh town named best place in UK to retire

A study of the best places in the UK for a relaxing retirement has named a north Wales town the winner.

Llandudno, Conwy, beat Glossop, Tynemouth and Ilfracombe to top the 2025 list of best places for retirees to spend their later years.

The study, conducted by care alarms provider Taking Care, took into account local life expectancy, house prices, care home spots, and other lifestyle factors such as green spaces and bingo halls.

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Seafront

Llandudno, a coastal town with a scenic Victorian seafront dotted with palm trees, often draws praise from its ten million annual visitors.

The pier was named one of the best in the UK by the National Piers Society in May 2025. Additionally, the town won the Gold award at the Royal Horticultural Society’s 2023 Britain in Bloom competition.

As well as Bronze Age settlements and museums, there are several coastal walks that pass through Llandudno, offering stunning views over the Irish Sea.

Llandudno's residents also describe it as an exceptionally safe town, with Ray, an 80-year-old retiree telling The Telegraph: “Living here is like going back 50 years. The older ladies still dress nicely. You can go out for walks after dark. There are no rough gangs going around swearing and fighting.”

Llandudno has previously made it onto the Which guide for cheapest seaside holidays, particularly for its affordable fish and chips.

However, when it comes to purchasing a property, the town actually has some of the highest asking prices in north Wales according to a report from Online Marketing Surgery and Cardinal Steels.

As well as large numbers of tourists, another drawback is that though there are several shops, restaurants, and pubs in Llandudno, the selection is limited compared to other towns in the area.

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Day trip

Locals suggest a day trip to neighbouring Conwy, which offers a much wider variety of shopping and eating establishments.

Helen Parkes, who moved to Llandudno with her family, told The Telegraph: “It’s lacking in terms of retail and culture – Conwy next door has had more spent on it and has more independent shops – but living here, you do realise life’s not all about spending.”

While Llandudno topped the list of best places in the UK to retire, Scotland's towns and cities fared much worse according to the study's metrics.

Edinburgh ranked last on the list, with an average life expectancy of 79, annual care costs averaging out at almost £40,000, and an overall lifestyle score of just 3.8/10.

The full study is available on Taking Care's website.