The Tarn and Vendée tie in second place, with the Pyrénées-Orientales in fourth place, and Herault, Aveyron and the Gers (Gascony) all share fifth place.

The selection was made using seven factors, with points awarded to each factor to determine a ‘quality of life’ league table.

The seven factors were:

   1. i. Proximity to the coast

   2. ii. Proximity to mountains

   3. iii. The cost of housing

   4. iv. Average temperature

   5. v. Days of rain

   6. vi. Level of crime

   7. vii. Cultural life

The Aude gains its position as top spot mainly because it presses strongly most of the buttons, with good proximity to both mountains and coast, comparatively lower house prices, and a good climate. On the downside, its crime level is higher than many other areas in the South West.

The sunshine destinations of the Cote d’Azur lose some of their appeal, by virtue of the level of house prices and high crime rates in the region.

Overall, those départements in the South West come out most strongly in the analysis, with the exception of Tarn and Garonne, which (perhaps unfairly) loses out, mainly because it is an 'average' place to live on most counts.

Capital city Paris comes in a rather lowly 89th out of 95, mainly because of the cost of housing in the city and the comparatively higher crime levels. Indeed, départements in the Ile de France around Paris occupy the bottom six positions in the league table.

Crime figures in the analysis were derived from police statistics, and the rating on ‘culture’ was derived from a survey carried out by the magazine on attractions such as the number of cinemas, cultural facilities, and tourist sites.