Boroughly › Compare › Hackney vs Islington
Two areas people weigh against each other constantly. Here's the honest side-by-side — price, the seven life scores, and who each one actually suits.
| Criterion | Hackney | Islington |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Schools | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Parks & green space | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Transport | 7/10 | 9/10 |
| Diversity & inclusion | 9/10 | 7/10 |
| LGBTQ+ friendly | 10/10 | 9/10 |
| Buzz & nightlife | 9/10 | 8/10 |
Hackney is the cheaper of the two — roughly £600k against £660k, about 10% less. Over a 25-year mortgage that gap is the single biggest practical difference between them.
Hackney scores clearly better on parks & green space — 8/10 against 6/10.
Islington scores clearly better on transport — 9/10 against 7/10.
Hackney scores clearly better on diversity & inclusion — 9/10 against 7/10.
| If you're… | Lean towards | Because |
|---|---|---|
| Families with school-age children | Islington | stronger combination of school and green-space scores |
| Young professionals | Hackney | more going on in the evening and better connections |
| First-time buyers | Islington | better price-to-transport trade-off |
| Anyone wanting a quieter life | Hackney | calmer, greener and lower-crime scoring |
Hackney is cheaper on average. Hackney runs about £600k to buy and £2,200/mo to rent a two-bed; Islington is around £660k and £2,400/mo.
Islington scores better on the combination families usually weigh most — schools, green space and safety. Hackney scores 7/10 for schools and 8/10 for parks; Islington scores 8/10 and 6/10.
Hackney scores 7/10 for transport and Islington scores 9/10. Journey times depend far more on where you're actually going than on a general score — set your real destinations on the Boroughly map to compare door to door.