Test Valley is the place to be……

Looking across the Test Valley from Firs Lodge

According to a recent survey into the quality of life, the Test Valley with its market towns, woodlands, downs and the picturesque River Test itself is a popular place to move to. The Halifax Quality of Life survey ranked the area 14th in the top 50 rural area’s of the country in terms of average earnings, housing, employment, education, health & weather. The nearby New Forest also featured in the survey, ranked 44th. Unemployment in the Test Valley remains low at 4.2% against the national average of 7.7%, however some commentators were surprised to see the area rated so highly, given the wide gap between earnings and house prices. The recent National Housing Federation showed that the average house price in Test Valley is 13.3 times the average salary in the district.