English cities with the healthiest habits

The importance of a healthy lifestyle is undeniable. From quitting smoking and staying active to filling our plates with good food, there are many ways we can introduce healthier habits into our lives. These habits can be the foundation for a longer life – and they could even help to reduce your life insurance premiums.

In light of this, we wanted to find out which cities around England have the healthiest habits. To do this, we ranked England's 30 most populated cities based on key health metrics, including physical activity levels, obesity and smoking rates, and average life expectancy of men and women.

Top 20 cities with the healthiest habits

Rank	City	Region	% of physically active adults	% of adults who are obese	Average life expectancy (Combined average of male and female life expectancy)	% of adults eating 5 a day*	% of adults who consume alcohol each week	% of adult smokers
1	Oxford	South East	76.0%	16.2%	82.1	38.3%	25.5%	7.4%
2	Cambridge	East	76.6%	19.6%	82.5	40.1%	25.3%	13.8%
3	York	Yorkshire and the Humber	73.6%	23.5%	81.4	32.6%	26.5%	8.7%
4	Norwich	East	74.8%	23.2%	80.0	31.3%	25.3%	13.5%
5	Bristol	South West	75.9%	22.3%	80.4	36.4%	27.8%	14.8%
6	London	Greater London	49.9%	26.2%	81.3	30.0%	22.3%	11.7%
7	Sheffield	Yorkshire and the Humber	69.1%	24.5%	80.0	29.7%	26.5%	12.0%
8	Leeds	Yorkshire and the Humber	69.0%	26.2%	80.1	28.3%	26.5%	12.4%
9	Milton Keynes	South East	65.9%	25.9%	80.8	26.0%	25.5%	13.8%
10	Plymouth	South West	75.2%	26.0%	80.4	27.9%	27.8%	14.7%
11	Birmingham	West Midlands	60.4%	25.9%	78.7	23.2%	21.3%	13.6%
12	Peterborough	East	60.7%	26.5%	79.9	29.1%	25.3%	12.2%
13	Coventry	West Midlands	62.3%	27.7%	79.2	26.1%	21.3%	18.4%
14	Newcastle upon Tyne	North East	69.0%	29.9%	79.4	29.3%	26.8%	12.1%
15	Southampton	South East	66.9%	29.5%	80.1	24.7%	25.5%	13.2%
16	Southend on Sea	East	60.4%	31.4%	80.2	29.7%	25.3%	14.0%
17	Portsmouth	South East	71.1%	30.8%	80.0	22.3%	25.5%	14.7%
18	Doncaster	Yorkshire and the Humber	61.2%	29.7%	78.7	31.0%	26.5%	12.4%
19	Wolverhampton	West Midlands	55.8%	33.0%	78.4	25.0%	21.3%	15.1%
20	Preston	North West	61.4%	24.5%	78.2	21.9%	24.0%	16.3%

1. Oxford

Taking the crown as the healthiest city in England is Oxford with an impressive low smoking rate. At just 7.4% of the population, Oxford is home to significantly fewer smokers than the national average.

Oxford also has one of the lowest obesity levels in England, with only 16.2% of the population classified as obese. This may be partly due to the city's high physical activity rates. An impressive 76% of Oxford's residents are considered physically active, suggesting a strong culture of exercise and movement.

This commitment to healthy living contributes to a longer life expectancy for Oxford residents, with an average lifespan reaching 82.1 years, higher than the national average (80.95).

2. Cambridge

In second place is Cambridge where residents are the most active in the country, with a huge 76.6% of the adult population considered physically active. This strong culture of exercise may influence Cambridge's impressive life expectancy of 82.5 years, the highest in all of England.

The city also leads the nation in healthy eating habits, with an impressive 40.1% of Cambridge adults adhering to the recommended "five a day" rule for fruit and vegetable consumption. Experts advise that five portions of fruit and vegetables a day can lower the risk of serious health problems like heart disease and stroke, so Cambridge's residents are setting a fantastic example for the rest of the country.

This combination of a balanced diet and high levels of physical activity creates a powerful recipe for long and healthy lives.

3. York

Coming in at a close third for healthy habits is York. While the average life expectancy of 81.4 years in York is slightly lower than in Oxford and Cambridge, it remains among the highest in England, indicating a strong overall health profile for residents.

Cities with the lowest number of smokers

Smoking is a major hurdle on the road to good health. Cigarettes contain over 5,000 chemicals, many of them causing significant damage to the lungs, heart, and overall body function. This translates to a heightened risk of lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and even diabetes.

Quitting smoking is not only great for your health, but could also reduce the cost of your life insurance policy.

Looking across England, several cities are leading the charge in kicking the habit. Oxford takes the crown with a remarkably low smoking rate of just 7.4% among adults. This minimal smoking culture likely contributes to Oxford's impressive health statistics, including a high life expectancy.

York follows closely behind with 8.7% of its adult population smoking, followed by London with a smoking rate of 11.7%. While higher than Oxford and York, this still reflects a positive trend towards healthier habits in the capital city.

Rank	City	Region	% of adult smokers
1	Oxford	South East England	7.4%
2	York	Yorkshire and the Humber	8.7%
3	London	Greater London	11.7%
4	Sheffield	Yorkshire and the Humber	12.0%
5	Newcastle upon Tyne	North East England	12.1%
6	Peterborough	East of England	12.2%
7	Leeds	Yorkshire and the Humber	12.4%
8	Doncaster	Yorkshire and the Humber	12.4%
9	Leicester	East Midlands	13.1%
10	Southampton	South East England	13.2%

How leading a healthy lifestyle can lower life insurance costs

The cities with the healthiest habits in England serve as great examples of how important it is to prioritise your health. It's important to remember how making healthy choices could have a positive impact on your wallet, especially when it comes to life insurance.

A healthy lifestyle could mean lower insurance premiums

Your lifestyle choices could impact your life insurance costs, with healthy habits often translating to lower premiums. Things like maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, and not smoking mean you could be less likely to experience health complications. These positive behaviours help indicate lower risk for the insurance company, and that should translate to savings for you.

Smokers may have higher costs for life insurance

Smokers in particular tend to pay higher premiums due to the increased risk of health complications. Quitting smoking is not only a win for your overall health, but it could also lead to savings on your life insurance.

Maintaining healthy habits could also positively impact rates for critical illness cover

Looking beyond basic life insurance, healthy habits can also benefit those considering critical illness cover. This type of policy provides financial support if you're diagnosed with a critical illness, such as cancer or heart disease. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can make you eligible for better rates on critical illness cover as well, as you’re less likely to suffer from serious conditions.

Methodology

Compare the Market pulled together a seedlist of the top 30 most populated cities in England. The cities were then ranked according to the following metrics:

The latest available data was used and was accurate at the time of the research in June 2024.

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