Glasgow is the UK’s 5th largest city and Scotland’s largest city.
As with any major city, living there has pros and cons.
Let’s look at what these are, and more.
Overview of Glasgow
Glasgow’s history stretches back to prehistoric times.
The Romans built outposts near it 2,000 years ago and its importance increased over the following centuries.
By the 18th century, it was an important international trading port and soon became one of the wealthiest cities in the world.
In the second half of the 20th century, its shipbuilding and traditional manufacturing industries declined sharply.
However, its economy has transformed and is growing today. It hosts many bluechip companies, particularly those in the following sectors:
- Finance
- Business services
- Creative industries
- Life sciences
- Advanced manufacturing.
Its population is estimated at 1.7 million (about 635,000 live in the city centre).
What is the quality of life like in Glasgow?
To accurately measure the quality of life in Glasgow, many factors have to be considered, including:
- Cost of Living
- Health care
- Property price-to-income ratio
- Traffic commute time.
And much more.
According to Numbeo, Glasgow’s quality of life index is 185.81, which is considered very high.
This is higher than other major cities in the UK, such as London (142.8) and Manchester (153.4).
Edinburgh’s quality of life score (189.0) is the only higher in the UK.
Is it worth living in Glasgow?
That depends on what you want and where in Glasgow you choose to live.
It is the largest city in Scotland and is a popular destination for individuals of all age groups. This includes those who want to start a new and more vibrant way of life.
This is particularly true for those who have lived all their lives in rural Scotland, which would be anywhere except Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Glasgow is worth moving to. And just because you’re in Glasgow doesn’t mean you have to deal with the hustle and bustle of city life daily.
There are plenty of areas not too far from the city centre that offer a very laid-back and relaxing way of life.
Where not to live in Glasgow?
As is the case with any major city, there are areas that you’d want to avoid.
In Glasgow, those areas include:
- Possilpark
- Govan
- Calton
- Drumchapel
- Maryhill
- Parkhead.
to name a few.
These areas regularly struggle with gang-related violence and drug-related crimes.
Why do people move to Glasgow?
Glasgow is home to over 630,000 people, many of whom aren’t originally from the area.
And as one of the fastest-growing cities in the UK, you can only expect the reasons people move to Glasgow to be highly varied.
So, below, we’ll go over some of the most popular reasons people have moved from the countryside to Scotland’s biggest city.
- To seek new career opportunities
- To study at a major university
- To live a more vibrant and exciting life
- To be around more accepting and friendly individuals
- To be close to good education facilities for their children
Pros of living in Glasgow
There are many pros of living in Glasgow, some of which include:
1. Low property prices
The average property price in Glasgow is just £208,557.
This is over £100,000 less than the average property in the UK, which sold for £311,000 in September 2022.
This opens up a great opportunity for people looking to buy their first home in Glasgow, as properties in the area are still affordable.
That said, Glasgow properties have been on the rise in the last couple of years.
So if you buy now and hold your property for some time, rest assured that you’ll have no issue selling your house fast when the time comes.
2. Green spaces
As is the case with most of Scotland, Glasgow is home to many green areas that the locals love.
Should you decide to make Glasgow your home, some of the green spaces you should definitely pay a visit include:
- Kelvingrove Park
- Rouken Glen Park
- Glasgow Botanic Gardens.
Please note that there are dozens more incredible green areas that are worth a visit.
3. Friendly Glaswegians
Recently, data from the Conde Nast Readers’ Choice Awards (2022) and Time Out Index (2022), stated that Glasgow is one of the world’s friendliest cities.
Cons of living in Glasgow
As one of the biggest cities in the UK, there are also some drawbacks to living in Glasgow, including:
1. Weather
Glasgow’s weather is not one of the city’s strong suits.
If you like the sun and being outside daily, you can almost forget about it when you move to Glasgow.
In the winter (especially), temperatures often drop to single digits, and rain and wind can be present for weeks at a time.
2. Crime
The crime index in Glasgow (according to Numbeo) is 45.08 out of possible 100.
In other words, the crime levels in Glasgow are not great, and the worst part is that in some areas, gang and drug-related crimes are on the rise.
Drug usage is one of the most common types of crime, as are vandalism and theft.
Conclusion
Overall, Glasgow is a fantastic place to live. The quality of life is generally considered much higher than in all other major cities in the UK (except Edinburgh).
And all you need to try and do to have a great experience living in Glasgow is to avoid the areas that are renowned for their gang-related and drug-related crimes.
And fortunately, those are pretty easy to avoid since they are so well known.
