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 - priced, scored and mapped around your life.

City:

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Budget

Median sold prices from HM Land Registry Price Paid Data, taken from the last two calendar years of published 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.

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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).

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Boroughly Plus

A printable move report and on-demand local Q&A for anyone actively house-hunting.

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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.

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Shortlisting from here?

Get a printable move report for any area on this list, or ask on-demand questions about daily life there.

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