New Statistics Show that the County of Dorset is a Great Place to Live

A new survey of the UK from the Office For National Statistics gives the Southwest of England a big thumbs up compared to the rest of the country, and the county of Dorset, the easternmost of the counties that make up Southwest England, seems to be a great place to live in many ways.

I have to say that I am a bit biased towards Dorset, since I was born there, however it cannot be denied that this historic county, with it's splendid coastline, numerous small villages with houses built of local stone, it's historic monuments, including countless earthworks and burial mounds from the Iron Age, is one of the prettiest in England.

The new survey shows that Dorset has the highest life expectancy in the UK, as well as below average crime and an above average standard of living. The relatively mild climate, with the ocean warmed by the waters of the Gulf Stream, obviously plays it's part in the longevity of people in the region, but lower stress levels due to not having to worry about crime and employment are also significant factors regarding health.

Compared with most parts of the UK, the Southwest of England has the lowest population density and is one of the greenest, with local authorities recycling an above average of waste products.

92 percent of the population are classified as White British, the other 8 percent being made up of other white people from Ireland and Eastern Europe, plus peoples of other races from around the world.

With all of these factors being above average, as you would expect children leave school with higher than average qualifications, and Dorset not only has a number of highly respected state run schools, it also has some renowned public and private schools.

While many people outside of the UK might not have heard of Dorset, they have probably heard of Lyme Regis, if only because of the movie "The French Lieutenant's Woman". They might have also heard of Dorchester, which is the county town, and of Dorset's most famous author, Thomas Hardy. Also becoming increasingly well known is the town of Bournemouth, the nearby millionaire's paradise of Sandbanks, and Brownsea Island which was the location of the first Boy Scout camp.

If you haven't been to this wonderful part of the UK, hopefully next time you visit the UK you will take time to drop by and see what you have been missing.

Sources:

The Bournemouth Echo
Office For National Statistics

Other Dorset Links

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Bournemouth
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