What is the best area to live in London?

There is no single best area — it depends on your budget, commute, and what daily life you need nearby. Boroughly compares all 278 London areas and commuter towns against your own criteria: safety, schools, transport, halal or kosher food, gyms, nightlife versus quiet, and community friendliness, then ranks them for you on a free map.

Where can I afford to live in London?

On a typical budget under £450k you can buy in areas like Croydon, Barking, Walthamstow's neighbours, or commuter towns such as Grays, Luton, Bedford and Sittingbourne — often with faster commutes than outer London. Enter your budget (buy or rent, flats or houses, 1–4 beds) on Boroughly to see every area it unlocks.

What are the best commuter towns near London?

Popular commuter towns include St Albans and Harpenden (about 20–25 minutes to St Pancras), Shenfield and Brentwood on the Elizabeth line, Sevenoaks, Woking, Reading, and coastal picks like Whitstable, Brighton and Hove. Boroughly scores 100+ commuter towns on price, train times, season-ticket cost, schools and safety.

Boroughly. — criteria, places & results ▲

Boroughly.

Find your patch of London — priced, scored and mapped around your life.

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Budget

Median sold prices from HM Land Registry Price Paid Data, taken from the last 12 months of recorded sales. London average is ~£553k.

Show me areas up to 10% over budget too ("worth a stretch") 🚆 Include commuter towns (St Albans, Woking, Sevenoaks, Reading, Brighton…) — often far more home for the money

What matters to you

Slide up what you care about. 0 = don't care, 10 = deal-maker.

Must-haves nearby

Tap to require these within walking distance. Areas without them are filtered out.

Borough filter

Real borough boundaries are drawn on the map. Tap a borough to limit your search to it — tap again to deselect.

All boroughs

Loved & no-go zones

Use the ✏️ buttons on the map to draw areas you love (boosted in results) or want to avoid (removed from results).

Popular area guides

Deep dives with prices, schools, safety and who each area suits.

Living in Tooting · Walthamstow · Croydon · Wimbledon · Brixton · Hackney · Richmond · St Albans · Shenfield · Brighton · All 278 guides →

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Places you need to be near

Your parents, work, the school run, your mosque, your five-a-side — add them all. Tap the button, then tap the exact spot on the map.

Travel times are door-to-door estimates based on typical London public-transport speeds — always double-check on Citymapper/TfL before viewing.

Your best matches

Scored 0–100 against your budget, priorities, must-haves, travel limits and drawn zones. Tap a card to explore it.