People living in Chiltern have the best quality of life in rural Britain, research claimed today.

Residents of this area of Buckinghamshire are the healthiest in the country, have the highest life expectancy and with average incomes of £45,000, they earn more than people in any other rural local authority, according to Halifax.

Eight out of 10 people own their own home, while properties are also larger than average with 6.3 rooms, GCSE results are above the national average and the area even enjoys plenty of sunshine.

People living in Waverley, Surrey, were found to have the second highest quality of life in a rural area, followed by those in Tandridge, also in Surrey.

The South East dominates the top 10 rural local authorities with the best quality of life, with South Cambridgeshire, Rutland and Uttlesford in Essex, the only areas outside of the region to make it into the table.

Thirty-two of the top 50 regions are in southern England, with nine in the East Midlands, three each in the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber and one each in the North West, North East and Scotland.

Aberdeenshire is the rural local authority that offers the highest quality of life in Scotland, boasting low traffic and crime levels, while Monmouthshire topped the poll in Wales.

But people hoping to move to one of the top local authorities can expect to pay a premium.