View towards Hastings Old Town from Hastings Pier. Hastings Seafront. SUS-160208-151414001

Analysis by TotallyMoney.com looked at criteria such as employment rates, average wages, housing and the cost of living in 57 of Britain’s largest towns and cities.

Hastings came bottom of the list, five places behind London and four below Brighton.

TotallyMoney.com listed high unemployment (7.7 per cent) and negative job growth (-2 per cent) as the key contributing factors in Hastings’ low rating.

Burnley topped the list, followed by Wigan and Barnsley. Southern towns and cities performed poorly overall, with the highest ranking area being Oxford (19th) and the eight remaining areas finishing in the bottom half of the table. Six of the bottom ten areas are based in the South.

TotallyMoney.com head of brand and communications Joe Gardiner said: “While scenery, shopping and a nice local pub are all important, people will always want to live in areas where they can be financially secure.

“This research shows us the true financialhealth of an area, and that a town which offers high-paying jobs and expensive restaurants won’t necessarily be the best place to make a living.

“Here at TotallyMoney.com we are committed to making consumer credit fairer. We hope this research will allow people to make more informed decisions when looking for somewhere to live and allow them to take steps towards improving their financial situation.”

Visit www.totallymoney.com/best-places-in-the-uk-to-make-a-living to see the full list.

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