This ‘mini oasis’ has been ranked the UK’s most employee-friendly town

One town enthusiastically labelled both a ‘mini oasis’ and a ‘real gem’ has been voted the most employee-friendly town in the UK.

Swindon is often overshadowed by other charming Wiltshire destinations like Salisbury, Castle Combe and Stonehenge – but if you’re looking to thrive at work in 2025, it’s the ideal place to be.

A new study has looked at a variety of factors, including average salary, unemployment levels, proximity to green space, the cost of a public transport ticket, and the price of a coffee to determine a final score – for which Swindon scored 6.5 overall.

Here, the average salary comes in at £35,605 – and the majority of the town is happily employed, as the unemployment rate rests at 2.4%.

If you’re looking to get outside and immerse yourself in nature during your lunch break, 27.15% of the locality is comprised of green space.

Likewise, getting to work without a car won’t break the bank, as the typical public transport ticket costs £2.40, according to the new findings by Adobe Express.

For many of us, coffee is essential in our daily work lives. Swindon performed relatively well with a typical cost of £2.98 per cup of Joe, but was notably outperformed by Stoke-on-Trent (£2.97), Peterborough (£2.83), and Kingston-upon-Hull (£2.87).

The Wiltshire town also boasts an above-average number of large companies, including BMW, the Ministry of Defence and Nationwide Building Society.

And when it comes to productivity per worker, local employees actually rank seventh in Britain.

Elsewhere, a Buckinghamshire city previously written off as ‘Satan’s layby’ ranked in second place (spoiler: it’s Milton Keynes). Not all the locals are happy with it, but it’s seemingly outperforming many UK towns and cities when it comes to employee happiness.

With an average salary of £39,623 and an unemployment rate of 3.6%, MK scored 6.3 overall – just 0.2 points below the top spot. And despite all those roundabouts, it actually has a greater percentage of green space than Swindon at 31.11%.

What locals are saying about Swindon

Originally from Somerset, Janine Pipe has lived in Swindon for more than 20 years and she loves it.

‘We’re on the cusp of the Cotswolds, have a great transport system to Bristol and London including motorways and rail and although the centre is a sad state of affairs like many towns, a lot of the out-of-town shopping districts are fabulous,’ 45-year-old Janine tells Metro.

‘I have a Starbucks less than a ten-minute stroll away and all the amenities I could need – decent doctor, dentist, vet, school, supermarket – all within walking distance,’ she adds.

‘Yes, people complain about living here but for me, I see no reason to leave.’

Likewise, Kirsten Robertson used to work in Swindon – and believes that the ‘bad rep’ it receives is unfair.

‘It is true that certain areas can feel unsafe – especially compared to the leafy towns and villages across the rest of Wiltshire. There were tons of boarded up shops and the centre felt like a ghost town at points,’ 28-year-old Kirsten, who now lives in London tells Metro.

‘The rents in Swindon are manageable and there’s a train station which leads directly into London, so it can be a pretty useful stopgap for young workers.

‘Plus, you can escape the town and head to beautiful places like Castle Combe, Avebury and Lacock which are all less than an hour’s drive away.’

Kirsten also recalls the story behind the ‘Magic Roundabout’ – from which her office was five minutes away – a locally famous ring junction consisting of five mini-roundabouts positioned in a circle.

‘[It was] so bizarre that a police officer was stationed there when it first opened to direct confused drivers around it,’ Kirsten reveals.

House prices in Swindon

When it comes to property, there’s plenty going for Swindon. As per data from Rightmove, the average home sold for £274,140 in 2024.

Comparatively, Halifax’s House Price Index for December 2024 places the typical UK house price at £297,166 – meaning that Swindon ranks slightly cheaper at £23,026 lower. It might not sound like a lot, but every little helps, right?

Drive an hour east to Oxford and prices skyrocket to £588,302 – over twice the cost. It’s a similar (though slightly less tragic) story in Bristol, where the average house now goes for £384,071.

So, it’s clear that not only does Swindon boast benefits for employees – but for prospective homeowners looking to shave a few pennies off their first property, too.

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