The online lifestyle magazine Muddy Stilettos set up a regional vote across 29 English counties as part of its annual Top 300 Places to Live guide.
The insider guide covered more places than ever before, sharing local knowledge and insights into the most sought-after counties in England.
Dursley in Gloucestershire was crowned the Best of the Best 2025, while Bristol’s Southville was featured among the top 10 list for Bristol and Somerset.
Scroll through to learn about the top 20 places to live in Bristol, Somerset and Gloucestershire revealed in new Muddy Stiletto Guide, and why:
17. Bibury, Gloucestershire
"Bibury, with its peak Cotswold vibe, is a well-thumbed pin on tourist sat navs, but scratch the surface and this chocolate-box-pretty village is a box-ticker of postcode. World-famous textile designer William Morris dubbed Bibury “the most beautiful village in England” and he wasn’t wrong, but it is so much more than a looker. The village has two good shops, the popular family destination Bibury Trout Farm, a couple of great pubs, a hotel for visiting family and friends, a good primary school, and outstanding countryside on your doorstep. Yes, you might have to dodge a few dawdling tourists on busy bank holidays, but they do go home." | Tim Graham/Getty Images
18. Southville, Bristol
"Sometimes called ‘Lower Clifton’, this vibrant and arty hub in the centre of the city, south of the river Avon, has become increasingly gentrified and popular with young professionals and families over the years, with independent restaurants, cafes, delis and bars along North Street and Upfest, the famous urban paint festival – though no one seems exactly sure where Southville ends and Bedminster begins. Slope over Gaol Ferry Bridge and you’re in Wapping Wharf and Bristol Harbourside with more indies, masses of brilliant restaurants and some of the city’s leading galleries and museums." | BristolWorld
19. Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire
"This charming, bijou market town perched on the edge of a National Trust Common offers an idyllic Cotswold lifestyle within easy striking distance of the nearby towns of Stroud and Nailsworth. Time almost feels like it stands still in the delightful central square, bordered by limestone stone cottages dating back to the medieval wool trade, but Minch is no Sleepy Hollow. Instead you’ll find a whole lot of life in this little town, from buzzy community, sociable cafés, a pub, a few shops and good schools – just watch out for the famous Belted Galloway cows, it’s not unusual to see them cloppety-clopping around the high street." | Neil Tufano via Google Maps
20. Chew Magna , Somerset
"The largest village in the rather gorgeous Chew Valley with its beautiful lake, woodland and hills, Chew Magna lies about 10 miles south of Bristol and 15 miles from Bath, on the edge of the Mendips in north-east Somerset. It is a conservation area with old stone bridges over the river Chew, raised pavements and more than its fair share of listed buildings, but also a vibrant community with fab places to eat in and around, and plenty going on. The perfect spot for those who want to work in Bristol and live in the countryside." | Stephen Potter via Google Maps