The ‘unhappiest’ UK town that big chains abandoned – ‘only food stalls on the high street’
EXCLUSIVE: The town has been named the UK’s “unhappiest”, suffering from store closures, crime and general uncleanliness.
The town has been named the UK’s ‘unhappiest’ (Image: Humphrey Nemar/ Daily Express)
The UK is packed with picturesque gems, from the historic, winding streets of North Yorkshire’s Skipton, to Richmond upon Thames’ parks and riverside walks. But while many Britons are beaming with local pride, a new study has spotlighted the areas where the mood is considerably lower.
According to the latest data, one specific corner of London has been slapped with the unwanted title of the unhappiest place to live in the UK. The findings come from Rightmove’s annual Happy at Home Index, a massive study that polls thousands of people across more than 200 locations. To determine the rankings, residents are asked to rate their hometowns based on 15 key “happiness factors,” including: community spirit, access to nature, the friendliness of neighbours and local amenities. While some towns celebrated high scores, Barking and Dagenham found itself at the very bottom of the 2025 list. The East London borough was ranked as the “saddest” place in the country, failing to impress residents across the board when compared to the UK’s more cheerful areas.
Rob Vinton, who has lived in Dagenham his whole life, says the town has changed a lot, for the worse (Image: Humphrey Nemar/ Daily Express)
It’s a bitter pill to swallow for Barking and Dagenham, which has seen its reputation sink even further over the last 12 months. In last year’s survey, it was already struggling as the third unhappiest place in Britain. However, any hopes of a turnaround have been dashed, with the area now plummeting to last out of all 220 locations featured in the study.
Rob Vinton, a Dagenham local all his life, agreed with the ranking, telling the Express: “It’s just got completely downhill. Too much street crime”.
Pointing to the hilly high street, Rob added: “There’s nothing on the hill anymore”.
He said there used to be a lot more business in the area that made it worth visiting: “There used to be a Woolworths, we had a Wilko before it shut down, we had a JD Sports. There used to be companies. Now there’s just fruit stalls.”
The town is filled with these fruit stalls primarily due to the City of London Corporation’s failed plan to build a massive new wholesale food market at Dagenham Dock to consolidate London’s major food markets. The plan aimed to boost Barking and Dagenham’s economy.
“A lot of people are moving out, and the wrong sort of people are moving in,” he added.
Preslava Slavov, who has lived in Dagenham for the last 6 months, says infrastructure work is needed (Image: Humphrey Nemar/ Daily Express)
For Rob, to improve life for Dagenham’s locals, an active police force is needed, as well as a limit placed on the number of companies trying to sell the same products. The town is also in desperate need of a clean, as “it’s quite messy”, he added.
Preslava Slavov, who has only lived in Dagenham for the last six months, believes improvements to the town’s infrastructure and transport system are vital.
“The high street needs more places for younger people, like a bowling alley, as there aren’t many places for entertainment,” she said.
She added that Dagenham is a rougher area than she is used to, having recently moved from Chingford, on the northeastern edge of London, which was historically part of Essex. She moved to Dagenham because of the cheap rent.
However, for Preslava, the transport system also needs to be improved: “It needs to be quicker into central London. We have the tube station, but it’s still nearly an hour into the centre, which is quite a lot if someone is working full-time. It’s two hours of your life.”
She also shared concern about the success of small businesses in the area: “I don’t think that these small shops would be able to make much profit. I don’t think these little Eastern European shops will have much business.”
Riya Roy, owner of Sugaroholic patisserie in Dagenham firmly disagreed with the label (Image: Humphrey Nemar/ Daily Express)
Despite the borough’s dismal ranking, one local business owner is on a mission to inject some “artisanal” joy back into Dagenham. Having lived in the area for a year, Riya Roy opened her patisserie, Sugaroholic, inside Dagenham Heathway Shopping Centre to provide residents with high-end treats and a community hub, saving them the trek to Central London. She also hopes to expand in the future and open more shops.
While acknowledging that local services, such as GPs, could be improved and that many residents are on tight budgets, she firmly disagreed with the “unhappiest” label, praising the friendly nature of Dagenham’s local people and the strong sense of community.
“I don’t think [the ranking] is correct,” Riya said. “The people here are good. They communicate very well. I see most of them are older people who want to come out, sit, and talk to others.”
Riya believes the key to revitalising the town lies in growth and social connection. By introducing Indian snacks and desserts to cater to the large local South Asian community, she hopes to encourage older residents and neighbours to get out of the house and socialise.
She argued that the high street needs more diverse businesses and cafes to thrive, suggesting that more local investment – rather than negative labels – is what the area needs to flourish.
The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham said the area is changing for the better (Image: Humphrey Nemar/ Daily Express)
The Express contacted the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, and a council spokesperson said: “Barking and Dagenham is changing for the better. Surveys don’t always tell the full story, and we know this is a place full of ambition, resilience, and opportunity. Our ‘It Starts Here’ campaign is all about celebrating what makes this borough unique and what great things are happening here.
“We have challenges, but that’s not the whole story. We punch above our weight,” adding that they have attracted billions in investment and created thousands of affordable homes, boast award-winning parks and schools with GCSE and A-level results outperforming national trends, fantastic transport links and have secured £1.5 million from the Government’s ‘Pride in Place’ programme – one of only a few London boroughs to do so – to further invest in their neighbourhoods.
“We know many residents are proud to call this place home, and they want the positive story told. Barking and Dagenham has so many strengths and together with our partners, we’ll keep building the future we all want to see. It Starts Here.”
