Best places to live near London for families

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Southern Towns Dominate Our ‘Best Places to Live’ List

Are you looking to move out of London but still want regular or frequent access? Or maybe you’re moving to London but want to live somewhere outside of it? We’ve got you covered with the best places to live outside London. Our ranking of the top-ten places to live just outside London highlights data on ease-of-rail, local beauty, and more. If you have a young family, you’ll be even more interested as we’ve included factors like primary-school ratings and the availability of community centres, parks, and playgrounds.

The Top Ten Best Places to Live Outside London for Families

10. Petts Wood & Knoll: Great schools and great transport links

Coming in at Number 10 is Petts Wood & Knoll in Bromley, quite close to London. In fact, it is one of two Bromley-area locales to make our list.

Petts Wood & Knoll is a residential area known for its leafy streets and strong community vibe. Petts Wood offers a mix of 1930s homes, modern properties, and independent shops, with a focus on preserving its garden suburb character. The nearby Knoll area features larger houses in a quieter setting. With excellent transport links to central London and plenty of green spaces, including Petts Wood itself, it’s a popular choice for families and commuters seeking a suburban lifestyle.

Petts Wood & Knoll might be the bottom of our top-ten list, but it has the best primary-school ratings available. Naturally, it also does well in our rail rankings, with among the quickest trips into London (Victoria) and nearly six departures an hour. Also unsurprisingly, it’s a good choice for those wanting good public transport links – it has an impressive level of bus service.

9. Coldean: Community assets and abundant nature

Much further afield is Coldean, a residential suburb in the northeastern part of Brighton.

Nestled on the edge of the South Downs, it offers a mix of mid-20th-century houses, flats, and newer developments. The area has a close-knit community feel, with local amenities including shops, schools, and parks, as well as easy access to nature trails in the surrounding countryside. Its proximity to both Brighton city centre and the University of Sussex makes it a popular area for students, families, and professionals.

At 96 minutes, the rail journey into London (Victoria) is the longest, via handy Falmer station very nearby. It’s arguably a good option for someone who needs to be in London less than every day. The payoff is our group’s second-highest combined score for community centres, parks and playgrounds.

8. Guildford North: Urban vibe and metro connections

Guildford North is the most urban of our locales, the price of which is the joint-lowest score for parks and a poor score for playgrounds (there are three). On the other hand, bus connections are second-best in our group and proximity to protected landscape is great: the Surrey Hills AONB is less than a mile away.

Bounded by the High Street to the south and the rail line to the west and north, this area is a mix of historic and residential buildings with a vibrant urban atmosphere. This part of Guildford includes a blend of charming Victorian and Edwardian houses, modern apartments, and local businesses.

Guildford North features green spaces like Stoke Park and offers convenient access to Guildford’s train station, making it a hub for commuters. The area combines the town’s rich history with contemporary amenities, creating a lively and diverse community close to the heart of Guildford.

7. Burpham: Family assets and countryside

Appropriately, Burpham ranks just next to Guildford North: it is on the northern edge of Guildford. It offers better-rated primary schools, more parks and playgrounds, and is on the very edge of the countryside greenbelt. Unsurprisingly, the connection to London is good. London Waterloo is an hour away and there are more than five departures per hour.

This neighbourhood is known for its family-friendly atmosphere and convenient amenities. It features a mix of modern housing, local shops, schools, and parks, including the popular Sutherland Memorial Park. With easy access to the A3 and Guildford town centre, Burpham combines the charm of suburban living with excellent transport links and proximity to both urban facilities and surrounding countryside.

An added bonus is community centres: Burpham ranks joint-second place in our group for the number it offers.

6. Aldershot: Good all-rounder

Aldershot is a town in Hampshire widely recognised as the “Home of the British Army” due to its historical military connections. The town features a mix of Victorian architecture and modern developments, with landmarks like the Aldershot Military Museum. It has a diverse community, local shops, parks, and leisure facilities, including the expansive Aldershot Park.

In our index, Aldershot does well in almost everything, achieves joint-highest marks in primary school ratings, and highest or nearly highest scores for parks and playgrounds. The only thing letting it down is a dearth of community centres.

Overall, its good transport links to London and nearby towns, along with a good blend of historical significance and modern convenience, make Aldershot a good bet.

5. Sevenoaks Kippington: Schools, transport and nature

Sevenoaks Kippington is a residential area in Sevenoaks, Kent, known for its leafy streets and affluent character. It features a mix of elegant homes, both modern and period, set in spacious gardens. The area enjoys a peaceful atmosphere while being close to the amenities of Sevenoaks town centre and offering excellent transport links to London.

Sevenoaks itself is recognized for its top-rated schools and vibrant community, making it a desirable location for families as well as commuters.

Sevenoaks Kippington scores well in part because its schools are so good and in part because it’s right on the doorstep of the gorgeous Kent Downs AONB. What holds it back is the second-lowest score for community assets, mainly due to a dearth of community centres.

4. Winchester: Great schools, great countryside

It’s no surprise that Winchester ranks highly as an outside-of-London haven. This Hampshire city has unbeatable countryside, a fantastic train connection to London, outstanding primary schools, and ranks third in public transportation among the locations in our top-ten list.

It’s also one of the two non-southeast locations on our list.

Winchester is known for its stunning medieval cathedral, charming streets, and rich heritage. Once the ancient capital of England, it boasts a mix of historic sites, including Winchester Castle and the Great Hall, home to King Arthur’s Round Table. Surrounded by picturesque countryside, Winchester offers a blend of old-world charm, vibrant culture, and a welcoming atmosphere.

An added bonus is walkability: more people in Winchester enjoy getting around by foot than in any other of our top-ten locations.

3. Broom Hill: Leafy and well-connected

With excellent primary schools, a fast, high-frequency rail connection to London, best-in-class bus service and great proximity to gorgeous landscapes, Broom Hill comes third in our ranking of best places to live outside of London.

Broom Hill is a charming residential area known for its leafy streets, historic character, and tranquil atmosphere. It features a mix of period homes and modern properties, with green spaces like Broomhill Common offering a serene escape. Conveniently located near Bromley’s bustling town center, it blends suburban peace with easy access to local amenities, shops, and transport links, making it a desirable spot for families and commuters alike.

An added bonus is the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), only 2.5 miles away.

2. Warlingham: Great all-rounder

Featuring excellent primary schools, terrific rail connection to London, great nearby landscapes and the most parks in the group, Warlingham is a not-so-secret gem in the North Downs.

This Surrey village has a blend of rural charm and suburban convenience, centred around Warlingham Green with local shops and pubs. Its proximity to London, along with good transport links and green spaces, makes it a popular residential area for commuters.

Warlingham is a great all-rounder: it does well at everything and stands out in schools and parks.

And the drum roll ….

1. Polegate South & Willingdon Watermill: A National Park gem

Our top spot belongs to Polegate South & Willingdon Watermill in East Sussex. This well-kept secret ranks top thanks in part to being on the doorstep of the South Downs National Park.

Polegate South & Willingdon Watermill is a charming area known for its historic Polegate Windmill, a working mill built in 1817 that reflects the region’s agricultural past. The area blends village charm with access to the scenic South Downs, making it a favourite for walkers and nature lovers, while offering a welcoming community vibe with local shops and pubs.

The cost is a slightly longer journey to London (83 minutes) but there are loads of departures – about four per hour from a very handy station. Polegate South & Willingdon Watermill also has the best school ratings available and among the best scores for family infrastructure like community centres, parks and playgrounds.

The index

Table: The Best Places to Live Near London for Families

	Location	Sector	Rail	Bus	Landscape	Primary school(s)	Composite family assets	OVERALL
1	Polegate South & Willingdon Watermill	BN26 5	69	58	93	100	49	73.8
2	Warlingham	CR6 9	71	66	80	100	45	72.4
3	Broom Hill	BR6 0	81	84	63	100	31	71.8
4	Winchester	SO23 8	72	70	91	100	23	71.2
5	Sevenoaks Kippington	TN13 1	79	42	100	100	27	69.6
6	Aldershot	GU11 1	72	69	66	100	41	69.6
7	Burpham	GU4 7	70	48	73	100	56	69.4
8	Guildford N	GU1 4	79	72	81	70	43	69.0
9	Coldean	BN1 9	69	71	97	56	52	69.0
10	Petts Wood & Knoll	BR5 1	86	71	56	100	31	68.8

Source: Oxford Scientia

The Best Places to Live Near London for Families Index is based on Oxford Scientia’s scoring of localities across England. Scores range from 0-100 and represent “distance to frontier”, where 100 is the best performing locality.

Oxford Scientia scores localities on dozens of dimensions; the Index in today’s blog post highlights a few of those: rail connectivity (itself being a combination of journey time to London, frequency of departures, and proximity of the local train station), bus availability (considering both midweek bus availability and weekend availability), Ofsted primary school ratings, distance from a protected landscape, and family assets (a combination of scores for parks, playgrounds and community centres).

For the index in today’s blog post, only areas whose main metropolis destination is London are included, and they must be at least ten miles from Charing Cross.

Prices

The index doesn’t factor in prices. But the news here is not all bad. Yes, prices are above the national average, by about 43% (or 26% if adjusted for local incomes). The surprising thing is that two locations have median selling prices that are in line with the national average: Aldershot and Polegate South & Willingdon Watermill.

Moreover, a poor school rating holds back prices. Think of this as a way to get into a location you otherwise couldn’t afford. A better school rating might be around the corner. In our list, Coldean near Brighton ranks lowest for primary schools’ ratings. It’s no coincidence that it’s one of the more affordable locations in our list.

Keep a lookout for an upcoming blog post uncovering best-value locations outside London.

What about Essex?

Our thought exactly. Here’s how the ten best locations in Essex stack up against the ten in this list. The chart below reports the average values for each category for the top-ten in Essex and the top-ten in our blog post. Essex’s top-ten lag this blog post’s top ten in most categories but only especially in landscape. So if being near a National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is not a top priority, these might be worth checking out.

Top-ten places in Essex for families

Lawford
Shenfield
Drury
Vange
Prettygate W
Billericay and Burstead
Mile End S
Stanway
Great Bentley
Wivenhoe

Family assets

Isn’t it interesting that all of the places in today’s blog are in the English bottom half for “family assets” (community centres, parks and playgrounds)? We looked into it. For the greatest number of family assets, head for the area of Cambridgeshire between Cambridge and Peterborough (map).

Map: Deeper red means more “family assets”.

Final thoughts

If you are looking for a place to send your kids to school by bike, today’s top-ten list is not a great bet. Coldean is the best of the bunch but only has one-sixth the level of cycling as England’s most cycleable locale (Cambridge). Most have less than a tenth of Cambridge’s cycling rates.

If cycle-friendliness is something you’re looking for, you’ll want to keep an eye out for our upcoming Most Bikeable Locations list.

Caveats and Disclaimers:

House prices are for terraced, not-newbuild homes. The data used to compile this list were current to June 2024 or the most recent date available before that. Price data can be patchy so it’s worth checking local prices carefully.

Best places to live near London for families