Research from Lloyds Bank reveals that people buying a home in a market town will spend an average of £230,061 – as much as 6% more than the average house price of £216,143 across the country.

There are more than 40 market towns in England, including St Albans, Winchester, Shrewsbury, Newbury, Cirencester, Ludlow, Lewes and Farnham.

The average house price in market towns across England has risen by 50% from £153,776 in 2003 to £230,061 in 2013. This is equivalent to an average rise of £636 per month over the past decade.

Marc Page, mortgages director at Lloyds Bank, claims there are many perks that come from living in a market town.

“Market towns offer an excellent quality of life, with high levels of health and low crime and unemployment; they also tend to have higher levels of retired people and young couples without children,” he said.

“Market towns are seen as desirable places to live - small enough for people to feel included but large enough to remain private.”

Lloyds also found that house prices in two-thirds of market towns in England are higher than their county average.