Serotonin Cities
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter which helps regulate many different behaviours, including memory, attention, and body temperature. It’s also a mood stabiliser which helps regulate your happiness and anxiety. When serotonin is at a normal level, you will feel more focused, emotionally stable, happier, and calmer. So it’s important to maintain healthy levels of serotonin.
Although there are ways of boosting serotonin through vitamins and supplements, there are also additional things you can incorporate into your day-to-day life to keep your serotonin levels at a healthy level.
So, we wanted to find out which cities have the most serotonin-boosting potential; looking at the number of gyms, massage parlours, types of climate, hours of daylight, and much more to reveal the serotonin-boosting capital of the UK.
Happiest cities in the UK:
We’ve looked at gym and massage studios, temperature, serotonin-boosting purchases, and Google searches to reveal the cities with the most potential to boost your serotonin levels.
1. Brighton and Hove - 7.43 serotonin-boosting potential score
Brighton and Hove takes the top spot with a serotonin-boosting potential score of 7.43/10. Brighton and Hove has the second warmest climate in the UK, with an average temperature of 10.9°C. It also has almost 150 massage parlours per 100,000 people, the perfect way to relax and recover after a long working week.
2. Norwich - 6.87 serotonin-boosting potential score
In second place is Norwich with a serotonin-boosting potential score of 6.87/10. Norwich ranked particularly well for its climate, boasting lots of sunlight every year, as well as one of the highest average temperatures in the UK. Norwich is also a great place if you love cheese, hosting a cheese festival every year. There are also plenty of independent cheese shops to visit.
3. Lincoln - 6.52 serotonin-boosting potential score
Completing our top three is Lincoln with a serotonin-boosting potential score of 6.53/10. Lincoln ranked high for serotonin-boosting purchases, as well as Google searches for serotonin. Lincoln also boasts plenty of sunlight throughout the year, as well as a warm average temperature.
Cities with the most gyms in the UK:
Exercising is really good for your mental health, and going to the gym is a great way of staying active. That’s why we’ve looked into the cities in the UK with the most gyms per 100,000 people.
1. Newcastle upon Tyne - 355 gyms per 100,000 people
In first place is Newcastle upon Tyne with 355 gyms per 100,000 people. In total, Newcastle has 682 gyms which is the 10th highest in the UK. Newcastle is known for many things, including a distinct Geordie accent which is considered to be the most friendly in the UK.
2. Bolton - 287 gyms per 100,00 people
Greater Manchester’s Bolton takes second place with 287 gyms per 100,000 people. Bolton’s total number of gyms is just over 400, just 20th in the UK. In 2003, a survey conducted by the British Association for the Advancement of Science found that people from Bolton were the friendliest in Britain.
3. Manchester - 286 gyms per 100,000 people
Manchester completes our northern top three with 286 gyms per 100,000, narrowly behind Bolton. Manchester had the third-highest number of gyms in the UK, behind London and Glasgow, with 1,132. Manchester is an incredibly vibrant city, filled with exciting things to do. An amazing place to live or visit.
Londoners Have The Highest Gym Membership Percentage:
We found out the regions which have the highest percentage of people with a gym membership.
1. London - 18% of population has a gym membership
Taking the top spot is London with 18% of the population having a gym membership. Almost one in every five people in England’s capital has a gym membership, which equates to more than 1.5 million people. However, London has just 32 gyms per 100,000 people, which could result in an incredibly crowded workout space for those regular gymgoers.
2. North West/Yorkshire and the Humber - 16% of population has a gym membership
Second place is shared between two regions, the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber. 16% of both regions have a gym membership. The North West has a higher population though, which means the North West’s total number of people with a gym membership will be higher.
3. Scotland/North East - 15% of the population has a gym membership
Our top three is concluded by two regions, Scotland and the North East, where 15% of both populations have a gym membership. Scotland has a population of over five million people, which means just under one million people have a gym membership.
The warmest cities in the UK:
The UK has never been known for its warm climate. In fact, it’s known for the complete opposite. So it’s important to enjoy the nice weather when you can. That’s why we’ve looked at the cities in the UK with the warmest average annual temperature.
1. Bournemouth - 11.4°C annual average temperature
The city with the warmest climate is Bournemouth, with an average annual temperature of 11.4°C. Although it’s only 0.3°C warmer than second place, every °C counts when you live in the UK. Bournemouth is known for its beaches, which are the perfect companion to its warmer temperatures.
2. Brighton & Hove/Plymouth - 10.9°C annual average temperature
Second place is shared between Brighton & Hove and Plymouth, both boasting an average annual temperature of 10.9°C. Like Bournemouth, Brighton & Hove and Plymouth are located by the coast, and therefore have a lot of beaches. However, Brighton’s average annual rainfall of just under 36 inches, is less than Plymouth which receives over 40 inches of rainfall each year.
3. London - 10.8°C annual average temperature
The capital of England completes our top three, with an average annual temperature of 10.8°C. London has several attractions and sights to enjoy, and a warmer climate certainly makes that more enjoyable. London also has an annual rainfall of just over 27 inches.
The cities that buy the most serotonin-boosting products:
We’ve looked at all of our orders in 2022 to find out which city was ordering the most serotonin-boosting products last year.
1. Brighton and Hove - 65.5 orders per 100,000 people
Brighton and Hove takes the top spot with just over 65 orders for serotonin-boosting products per 100,000 people in 2022. Brighton is one of the most vibrant cities in the UK, with an exciting music and arts scene. As well as its stunning seaside, it’s famous for its quirky shopping areas and large LGBTQ+ population.
2. Lincoln - 65.3 orders per 100,000 people
Lincoln takes second place with 65.3 orders for serotonin-boosting products per 100,000 people in 2022. There were a total of 75 orders in 2022 for serotonin-boosting products in Lincoln. One of Lincoln’s famous assets is Lincoln Cathedral and Lincoln Castle, which you may recognise from films and television shows. The Da Vinci Code film, The Young Victoria, and Netflix’s The King, all include scenes showcasing Lincoln Cathedral and Lincoln Castle.
3. Bournemouth - 60.5 orders per 100,000 people
Completing our top three is Bournemouth, with 60.5 orders for serotonin-boosting products per 100,000 people in 2022. Bournemouth’s total number of orders for serotonin-boosting products was 99, which was one of the highest in the UK. Like Brighton, Bournemouth is also known for its seaside, seven miles of it in fact, which has been awarded the Blue Flag status.
Methodology
To find out the cities with the most gyms, we used Hey Gyms. We then used World Population Review for the populations of UK cities, before working out the number of gyms per 10,000.
We used Hey Massage to find the cities with the most massage parlours, before using World Population again for the number of massage parlours per 10,000.
We used Weather and Climate for the average annual temperature, and Time and Date for the hours of daylight on the longest day of the year (21st of June). We used the predicted figures for 2023.
We used Pure Gym for the percentage of people in each region with gym memberships.
We used Google Keyword Planner to find the number of searches for Serotonin and Insomnia. We then normalised these figures against Google’s reach of that population. We took the average number of searches each month. For serotonin searches, we also took the year-on-year increase/decrease.
Blank sections in tables represent where the data was not available.
