TWO North East areas have been revealed in the 10 best places to retire in England.
County Durham was named the best place in the North East to grow old, followed by Northumberland.
County Durham ranked ninth nationally in Lovett Care’s Twilight Years Capitals index, which assessed 294 English districts across 37 measures including health, care, transport, housing, environment, and community.
County Durham scored particularly well for low hospital admissions from falls among over-65s, affordable housing, and a high number of community venues and post offices.
It also earned the second-best environment score in the region.
Northumberland placed second in the North East and 10th nationally, leading the region for community and safety.
Only 4.92 per cent of adults there report feeling lonely often or always, and it has the region’s longest life expectancy at 65.
Northumberland also has the cleanest air in the North East, the seventh-cleanest in England, and the region's best provision of both bus stops and railway stations.
Cathryn Fairhurst, managing director of operations at Lovett Care, said: "For so many of us, choosing where to live is impacted by factors such as work opportunities, or the quality of education.
"But as people get closer to retirement age, they can start to focus more on what they want from where they live, whether that is access to nature, a thriving social scene, or good community services.
"This study was designed to discover which areas offer the best combination of a wide variety of factors that are important to older generations, and it's a reminder that there are plenty of places across England that are well placed for spending our later years."
Gateshead ranked third in the region and 23rd in England, earning the highest environment score in the North East and the sixth-best nationally.
Newcastle upon Tyne ranked 12th in the region and 176th nationally, with the lowest health score of any North East district.
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