Hitchin has been voted the third best place to live in Hertfordshire by readers of luxury lifestyle site Muddy Stilettos.

In a regional vote across 29 counties, St Albans topped the poll of 10 potential candidates in Hertfordshire.

From towns to villages, hamlets to commuter favourites, each of the initial 260 locations were independently researched and picked by the Muddy Editorial team, and then over 27,500 readers went on to vote.

In Hertfordshire, the city of St Albans won top spot thanks to its rich Roman history, speedy London commute, excellent shopping and fantastic foodie scene, which create a lively high street and buzzy market town vibe.

Meanwhile in Hitchin, independent eateries and shops were praised.

Voting took place between 30 July – 15 August 2024, and readers were given one vote each.

The Best Place to Live lists provided information on everything from eating out and best schools to the commute and local arts/culture, but the final decision came from the readers' own personal experience.

The Top 10 most popular cities, towns and villages in Hertfordshire for 2024 are:

1. St Albans
2. Tring
3. Hitchin
4. Hertford
5. Welwyn Garden City
6. Rickmansworth
7. Bishop's Stortford
8. Letchworth Garden City
9. Buntingford
10. Royston

See the full results on Hertfordshire and details on each town here.

Hero Brown, founder and editor-in-chief of Muddy Stilettos said: "When people move home, they're searching for more than just a house, they want to find a new lifestyle that works for them.

"Our exclusive Reader Vote gives them a fresh perspective that can make their search easier.

"It's hard to be confident on whether a location is the right place for you, but we've built our reputation on having first-hand knowledge on the in-the-know places to live and places to go.

"This Reader Vote gives a truly independent view on the towns and villages with the most popular postcodes, schools, restaurants and amenities."