Buxton, Derbyshire, is widely considered a great place to live, frequently ranked among the UK's top locations for its combination of historic charm, stunning Peak District surroundings, and a strong sense of community. It offers a high quality of life with excellent amenities, artistic venues, and safe, picturesque neighborhoods, though residents should be prepared for colder, higher-altitude weather.
But now Buxton and the surrounding towns which make up the High Peak parliamentary constituency are attracting wealthy residents faster than any other area in Britain.
Crime Statistics Summary for Buxton (High Peak) Buxton (High Peak) is the primary urban centre of the district, with an overall crime rate of 101.5 per 1,000 residents. This rate is higher than the UK average of 93.1, which is common for regional hubs that attract significant numbers of visitors and commuters.
Where is the nicest place to live in the Peak District?
Edale: Start point of the Pennine Way
Situated under the southern edge of Kinder Scout, at 636m the highest point in the Peak, Edale was recently named in a national poll as one of the best villages to live in England.
Chesterfield is frequently named the happiest place to live in Derbyshire and the wider East Midlands, based on recent studies like Rightmove's annual survey (December 2025). Residents and articles highlight its community feel, friendly people, affordability, historic character (like the famous Crooked Spire), abundant green spaces (such as Queen's Park), and immediate access to the Peak District National Park for outdoor activities.
Invest in Buxton, a place to live, work and play (2023)
What is the prettiest town in Derbyshire?
There's no single "prettiest," but popular contenders for prettiest town/village in Derbyshire include Hartington, famous for cheese and charm; Wirksworth, an artistic hub with cool lanes; Castleton, the "Gem of the Peak" in the Hope Valley with caverns and Peveril Castle; and Edensor, a perfect estate village near Chatsworth, while Matlock offers classic spa town beauty.
High Peak district contains towns such as Glossop, Buxton, New Mills, Whaley Bridge and Chapel-en-le- Frith. 12% of Derbyshire's population live here, which is approximatly 92,000 people. Derbyshire's 3rd least deprived district. Ranked 202 of 316 local authority districts.
Buxton, at the heart of the Peak District, has been highlighted as a key area of concern for exploitation by County Lines drug gangs, as it is very close to and has main routes through to larger metropolitan areas.
There are safer parts of Derbyshire, identified using the same Crime Risk measurement, starting with Glossop which ranks as the safest area in Derbyshire, followed up by Long Eaton in second place, and Chesterfield in third place.
Buxton is a wonderful place to live and work, to grow up and grow old. Whatever your age or stage of life, you'll find a warm welcome here. Named as one of the best places to live in the UK by the Sunday Times in 2018 and again in 2024, Buxton has also been a finalist in the Academy of Urbanism's Great Town Award.
Buxton is one of England's coldest towns due to its high altitude (around 1,000 feet) in the Peak District, often getting more snow and cooler temperatures than surrounding areas, but it's not definitively the absolute coldest place in England, with some moorland spots being colder, though Buxton is known for its consistently cool, dry air and is considered a cold winter resort.
After Windsor, nearby Ascot has the most multi-millionaires, with 220. The remaining top 10 are all in the south east as well: Virginia Water, Leatherhead, Weybridge, Henley, Marlow Bray, Beaconsfield and Cookham.
Harrogate tops the list with a crime index of 17.44, making it the safest town or city in the UK according to that analysis. This elegant North Yorkshire spa town combines affluent residential neighbourhoods, strong local employment and a busy tourism sector with relatively low levels of violent and property crime.
St Ann's Well is an ancient natural warm spring in Buxton, Derbyshire in England. The drinking well is located at the foot of The Slopes (formerly St Ann's Cliff) and opposite the Crescent hotel and the Old Hall Hotel. The natural warm waters of Buxton have been revered since Roman times.
The boundaries were drawn to exclude built-up and industrial areas; in particular Buxton and the quarries at the end of the Peak Dale corridor are surrounded on three sides by the park. Bakewell and many villages are in the national park, as is much of the rural west of Sheffield.
There isn't one single "most run-down" town, as it depends on the metric, but recent reports frequently cite Walsall (West Midlands) as Britain's most deprived for overall quality of life (Good Growth for Cities Index 2025), while Jaywick (Essex) is repeatedly named England's most deprived neighbourhood by government data. Other towns often mentioned for significant decline due to economic hardship, unemployment, and urban decay include areas in Blackpool, Hastings, and Middlesbrough, alongside places like Portsmouth and Aldershot facing specific challenges.
Buxton has a rich historical tapestry interwoven with notable people and events. One of its most famous residents was Hannibal Hamlin, Abraham Lincoln's first Vice President. The town was also home to Jonathan Buck, known for his connection to the supernatural as a subject of ghost stories and legends.
Luxury Peak District getaway in picturesque Derbyshire village where Tom Cruise filmed Mission Impossible. Discover the luxury Peak District apartment in Stoney Middleton, renowned for its connection with Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible filming location.
Castle Combe is often called the prettiest village in England and one of the most beautiful towns in the Cotswolds. Walking through this village truly feels like stepping back in time; no new houses have been built here for over 400 years, so it has kept its authentic, old-world charm.
