And with the town listed as 15th happiest place to live in Great Britain overall, a call has been made to use the result to build an even better community.
Burgh chaplain Dr Maurice Bond, of St Michael’s and South Church, said: “I haven’t seen the report but I can well believe it. “There’s quiteastrong sense of community — not just religious community, but community as a whole.
“And in the town, although I can’t say that everybody knows everybody, because they don’t, I think there’s a strong sense of community and that makes towards happiness.
“And there’s also a strong sense of belonging. They’re very proud to be Doonhamers and proud of their identity.”
Over 17,000 people across Great Britain took part in the study to produce Rightmove’s Happy at Home Index.
The second best place to live in Scotland was Edinburgh, and the third best place was Inverness. Across Great Britain as a whole, the best place was Leamington Spa, followed by Leigh-on-Sea.
Community spirit, feeling safe, the friendliness of locals, amenities, local services available and earning enough to live comfortably were considered.
Dr Bond says that people work hard in Dumfries, but havea‘more relaxed’ attitude to life than in more densely populated areas, and enjoy easy access to attractive countryside.
Agreeing, South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth said: “As a Doonhamer who has lived in Dumfries all my life, it’s great to see our town getting some positive publicity.
“Of course Dumfries isn’t without its massive challenges, but that’s no different from any market town of a similar size in Scotland.”
Noting recent work around Dock Park, The Theatre Royal, the Crichton site, Moat Brae and the Learning Town project, he said: “There is a lot happening in Dumfries we should be proud of.”
Hailing community spirit, he added: “Hopefully the poll acts as an incentive to redouble our efforts when it comes to taking on the big challenges Dumfries faces, so we can make our town even better.”
