WARRINGTON has been named in the top ten places to make a living in the country.

Research from credit comparison website TotallyMoney.com revealed that the Cheshire town was one of the best places to call home when comparing average wages to mortgage repayments.

Warrington was placed in seventh position with the average monthly salary in Warrington listed at £1,799 and average monthly mortgage repayments standing at £721.

Blackburn came out on top followed by Derby, Cambridge, Sunderland, Milton Keynes and Coventry.

Council leader Terry O'Neill described it as 'more good news for the town'.

He said: "It’s great to appear in the list but it really doesn’t come as a surprise.

"Warrington is nationally recognised as an economic powerhouse as all of the independently produced stats verify.

"Warrington is ranked third in the UK for highest business growth, only bettered by London and Aberdeen.

"Our SME’s fare even better, they are ranked number one in the UK for high growth.

"Add to that that we also have one of the highest rates of business start ups in the UK. 

The analysis compared median wages to mortgage repayments, cost of living and the health of the job markets in each town.

The calculations focused on working and living in each town with no points awarded for scenery, culture, or connections to the rest of the UK.

London was ranked at number 26 proving that while salaries in the capital are higher than elsewhere, they aren’t high enough to compensate for the cost of living.

Burnley, Newport, Blackpool, Rochdale and Gloucester were listed in the worst five places to make a living.

Future plans for the town are expected to see the town continue to grow, added Cllr O'Neill.

He said: "What is important and is a priority in terms of Warrington Borough Council’s agenda, is that we maintain that position and encourage it to grow.

"We need to make sure that there are a steady flow of jobs for people into the future which is why our ambitious growth framework Warrington Means Business is so important.

"We’ve announced projects with a value of £750 million so far and there are more to come."

Projects including the Future Tech Studio School, University Technical College Warrington and the £8.5m business incubator are part of the council's strategy to open doors to new business opportunities and training.