Greater Manchester city named UK’s ‘loneliest’ with highest percentage of people living alone

One of Greater Manchester’s cities has been named the ‘loneliest’ in the UK, according to the number of single occupants.

Living alone used to be seen as somewhat of a short-term ‘phase’, often between living in family homes or house shares, but today it’s a completely different story, as solo living is fast becoming a defining feature of urban Britain.

From high-rise studio flats, to compact commuter apartments, single-occupancy living is reshaping the character of many UK cities.

While for some, living alone simply represents independence and flexibility, for others it’s more a case of necessity – with wider demographic data apparently showing single-occupancy linked to student populations, delayed family formation, career mobility, and rising house prices that make shared living less practical.

But, with all things considered then, which towns and cities in the UK have the most solo occupants? The ‘loneliest’ cities, if you will.

A new study by Tarotoo set out to identify where solo living is most concentrated across the UK, with researchers analysing 58 cities, examining the number of studio and one-bedroom homes listed for sale or rent per 10,000 residents using Rightmove data – and it was Salford that came out on top.

That’s right, Salford tops the ranking with a striking 158.08 single-occupancy homes per 10,000 people, which is more than double the figure of the city in second place, and also vastly ahead of the national average.

The city’s rapid regeneration over the past decade, particularly around MediaCity and the wider Greater Manchester area, is said to be a huge contributing factor it in taking the top spot, as this has driven a boom in purpose-built apartments.

In fact, according to ONS data, Salford has seen one of the fastest rates of population growth among young professionals in the North West.

Other northern cities in the top 20 include Lancaster and Leeds, at fourth and fifth place respectively, and outside the top 20 is where you’ll find other northern cities like Liverpool, Chester, York, and Sheffield – with Manchester itself coming in at number 39 on the list.

Read more:

• Salford is celebrating 100 years of being its own city with FREE community events
• Manchester has been named one of the UK’s top property hotspots for 2026
• Council reveals £11.7m plan to tackle empty homes across the region

At the opposite end of the ranking, Newport records just 2.59 single-occupancy homes per 10,000 people, which is the lowest figure in the study, and it’s then followed by Glasgow (3.29), Swansea (3.78), Dundee (4.33), and Stoke-on-Trent (4.51).

Featured Image – Patrick Perkins (via Unsplash)