City tops the list of best places to be if you’re an electrician, plumber or other specialist.
Milton Keynes is number one in the UK when it comes to best places to live for tradespeople. A higher quality of life, better than average salary, good road network and drier weather all contribute to the positive findings, from kitchen and joinery supplier Magnet Trade’s survey.
Norwich and Ipswich came second and third in the study while Northampton featured in fourth spot.
The study highlights how workers thrive in MK, with its high rankings across finances, liveability and working conditions. Searches for tradesmen and related keywords have risen by a sixth in the last 12 months in Milton Keynes, emphasising the demand for tradespeople.
The research determines the best cities around the world for tradespeople to live in, by comparing the average wage earned, commute times, affordable housing and even rainfall, which can impact the number of days that tradespeople can work.
Milton Keynes received high scores in many of these areas, along with a thumbs up for general cost of living and crime rates. Its high quality of life came second in the UK only to Aberdeen in Scotland.
And while MK offers a competitive average monthly wage, its house rent prices are 46% lower than London, just 50 miles away, says the study.
On average, Milton Keynes experiences just 90 days of rainfall compared with the city with the most days of downpours, Glasgow with 131 days. This results in less damage and reduced disturbance to outside construction for tradespeople.
The city is also home to a breadth of efficient transport links, reveals the findings. As well as direct bus and train links to nearby major cities, Milton Keynes has the eighth best road conditions in the country, simplifying the daily commute for ‘tradies’.